The Courtship
by Jack-El49
Summary: Clark tells Lois he wants them to be a couple. Lois is ecstatic but Clark must now find a way to tell her he's the mysterious Blur with whom she has shared her most intimate thoughts. This trilogy follows the events up to the Smallville Season 9 mid-season break.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Courtship

 **Rating:** PG13

 **Setting:** This story refers to events that occurred during the first half of Smallville Season 9. The setting is Metropolis and Smallville in the late fall-early winter of 2009.

 **Summary:** Lois Lane has returned to the present day after being transported to the future by grabbing a Legion ring. Chloe Sullivan-Olsen's relationship with psychotic paramedic, Davis, resulted in him murdering Jimmy, Chloe's husband. That event and believing Lois had died during his battle with Doomsday, Clark decided to leave humanity behind and begin his training with Jor-El at the Fortress of Solitude. When Lois reappears, Clark realizes that there is at least one person he cannot leave behind and their courtship begins.

 **Characters:**

Clark Kent/The Blur

Lois Lane

Chloe Sullivan

Oliver Queen

Martha Kent

 **Disclaimer:** This is my vision of what transpires during a winter recess of Season 9. I own no characters; only my ideas and anyone is free to use them.

 **Author's Note:** _I originally posted this story and its sequel on the message board site, Divine Intervention, back in 2009. This work was the result of a collaboration with Godesssiri._

 _The series has long since ended and new versions of Clark Kent, Lois Lane and others in this universe have been created. I do think that Henry Cavill and Amy Adams are superb in the new universe as Clark and Lois. However, my favorite Lois will always be Erica Durance. Her portrayal was the most infective and Erica's work has established her as the quintessential Lois Lane in my opinion._

 _There are many things to like and be excited about with the new DC Extended Universe being created. Yet, there is still something great about Smallville that I like to revisit and because of that, I'm re-posting this story. I do have a few others that I could post that were written around the time that the series was in its heyday. Depending upon whether or not there is any interest left in Smallville stories will determine whether I resurrect and update those stories for ._

 _Thanks and I hope you enjoy this story. - Jack_

 _ **Prologue**_

The elevator doors closed and Clark realized how quickly life could change. He glanced down to confirm what he was feeling. There, in the cup of his hand, was Lois' right hand. He closed his on hers, gently squeezing as if it was a handshake capping off a long-negotiated agreement. He felt the warmth spread through his chest and face.

Standing next to Lois on the elevator his mind exploded with all the possibilities the future held. Lois; the woman he loved, the woman he knew he could not live without was standing next to him, holding his hand. Lois: _his girlfriend_.

He had summoned the courage to suggest that they drop their façade and begin to accept what had been obvious to both: they loved one another. Neither had said the words; neither really had to. In the past few weeks, he had kissed her on an uncontrollable impulse after learning that she was not interested in Oliver romantically. He kissed her to prove that he was interested in her as something more than the great friend she had become. She had kissed him to make it clear that she wanted to be more than just friends and coworkers after she had almost solved the puzzle that was his secret identity.

" _My girlfriend_ " he thought and almost burst into laughter, containing it instead to a wide smile. It sounded so foreign to him and yet when he had looked into Lois' beautiful hazel eyes just minutes before, he wondered how he could think of her as anything less. He dared to believe that he would think of her as something more someday. Something inside him leapt at that thought and he was sure there would be more to their story than a few quick dates that ended with a resounding thud.

He had felt it coming ever since she appeared almost unscathed after he had given her up for dead. In the nights since she had reappeared, her face came to him in his dreams; her beautiful and graceful face in the window of the elevated train that had derailed. It was like the picture of a beautiful ghost and Clark had thought for a moment that he was seeing a specter of his grief, silently mocking him from inside the rail car. But he soon learned that it was not a ghost – it was Lois and over the three weeks that she had vanished, his sense of loss had been gut-wrenching.

Clark realized that of all the people on the face of the planet, the one face he could not ignore was the face that he saw from across his desk at the Daily Planet. He realized how much he missed her and the fact that he thought he'd never see her face again made him keenly aware that Lois was not just another friend. Lois was special in a way he could not ever fully comprehend. And minutes ago at his urging, they became a couple and nothing felt as right as Lois being by his side as his girlfriend.

They rode silently in the elevator, both savoring the last few minutes when they felt their lives had changed forever. When the door opened, they walked out into the lobby of the Daily Planet building, out through the revolving doors and walked hand-in-hand across the street to get a real cup of coffee.

That evening, Lois updated her diary:

 _November 20, 2009._

 _Dear diary,_

 _Today was in fact the most wonderful day of my life._

 _Okay, I know I wrote the same thing last night when I woke up to a room full of roses and a card from Clark. But today set a new record. I know it sounds corny but today I think my life has changed forever._

 _Today began with going back to the hospital and meeting with the doctor so he could go over my test results. Hypoglycemia was the diagnosis and he tells me I should eat every 3 hours. No problem, I thought, just point me to the nearest donut shop!_

 _So I head to work and I get there around 10. Clark meets me in the lobby with a cup of awful coffee from downstairs and a maple donut that he had picked up on his way to work. That was sweet enough to rank pretty high on the "most wonderful day" scale but it was only the beginning._

 _In typical Clark fashion, he blew my hypoglycemia out of proportion and acted as though I was on death's doorstep after having gone into hypoglycemic shock. He said that he had almost lost me once and he didn't want it to happen again._

 _I almost didn't believe my ears and I didn't even know how to react to that one. It was like a dream; Clark Kent speaking aloud about his feelings for me._

 _It really threw me off balance for a moment so I decided to collect my wits by looking through the mail on my desk and suddenly, Clark is like four inches from my face asking me what we were doing. I had no idea what he meant so I told him that I was eating a maple donut and that he was invading my personal space. Then he said, "I mean us; Lois and Clark, Clark and Lois…_ _as a couple_ _!"_

 _I was floored. I never saw that coming but he follows up with the most romantic thing anyone has ever told me before. I sat down, telling him to slow it down because I still needed to get my feet back under me. Then he leaned on my desk and said, "You can lean on me for strength; I feel stronger when you're around, anyway."_

 _I couldn't believe the words I was hearing but more amazing was the mouth those words were coming out of. Clark Kent: the man who bottles up his feelings more than any man I've ever met; the man who never seemed to catch any of the hints I've given him over the past year that show how I feel about him. Those words came out of Clark's mouth and for a second, I thought I might still be in the hospital dreaming this was happening._

 _So I gave him a chance to back off in case I was misreading him, telling him that I had done the dating thing wrong so many times and his response was simply, "Then let's do it right; let's take our time."_

 _What could I say? You know that I would have jumped at even half the suggestion of being a couple. But even when given an out, mild-mannered Clark Kent persisted and I wasn't going to let that moment die on the bullpen floor._

 _We walked to the elevator and as the door closed, I reach over and took his hand and he squeezed mine back. Honestly, at that moment I felt warm and safe in a way that I have never felt before and I knew then and there that my life would never be the same again._

 _Clark may not be the Blur but he's_ _my_ _hero and the most wonderful thing about that is the underlined part that means he's mine._

 _\- LJL_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

Lois closed her journal, placed it on the nightstand, snapped off the lamp and laid back in her bed. She glanced at the clock. 10:09 PM. She closed her eyes, not at all tired. Just the opposite; she was exhilarated from the events she had just chronicled.

The sounds of Metropolis slowly faded away and Lois filtered out the remaining distractions of the world around her, focusing on only two things: the mental echoes of Clark asking her to be his girlfriend and the fragrance of sixty red roses she had placed throughout her apartment.

Her months of quiet, desperate struggle to either find a way to make Clark love her or find a way to get over him had ended. She lay in bed, immersing herself in the scent of roses and the visions of Clark playing in her head. A cathartic feeling washed over her and it seemed that a huge weight was lifted from her chest. Tears seeped from the corners of her closed eyes and traveled down the both sides of her head, eventually coming to rest on her pillow. The reality of the situation finally sunk in. Lois had won the heart of the man she loved and the peculiar part was that she really didn't know how.

A broad smile came to Lois' face as she became aware of her tears. Her heart pounded and she bolted upright in bed, convinced that no matter how much she needed to, she would not be able to fall asleep any time soon.

She grabbed her cell phone thinking that she would call Clark. She was dying to talk to him. She punched the speed dial but disconnected before it completed dialing. _Don't be such a girl, Lane. You've finally got him; don't scare him off. Remember the "let's take our time" comment? Hello?_

Lois was bursting inside and she needed someone to share her news with. She glanced at the clock. 10: 17 PM. _Ollie,_ she thought. Then she remembered their conversation on the balcony of the Ace of Clubs. _Not Ollie,_ she corrected. _That would be cruel._

 _Chloe! It's not too late; Chloe should still be awake, shouldn't she?_

She found Chloe's number in her directory but before she activated the auto-dialing, she hesitated. Chloe had been acting differently towards her lately. Something had happened between Chloe and Clark and she had not figured out exactly what it was. She fretted that it was the fact that Clark was showing her more attention and Chloe less that had caused a thin layer of ice to form on the relationship between the two cousins.

 _Was Chloe jealous? Is she hurt by our relationship? Is the timing of our relationship too soon after her husband died that's causing Chloe more grief?_ Lois hoped not but she also realized that Chloe had distanced herself from Clark and by extension, from her as well. _She was over Clark, right?_

Lois could not put her finger on the problem but concluded that sharing her good news with Chloe might yield a less than hoped for response. She would speak with Chloe about the newest development in her relationship another time, seizing that opportunity to clear the air between them and find out what was eating at Chloe.

Beyond Clark, Chloe and Oliver, Lois had no one else to call. _How pathetic_ , she thought. _Six billion people on the planet and only three of them are friends I can call._ She thought about that for a second, shrugged her shoulders and smiled. _So what?_ There was really only one person she wanted to talk to.

"What the Hell," she exclaimed with a smirk and pushed the number on her speed dial.

( _Meanwhile, at the Kent Farm_ )

It had been a while since he sat in the loft. The loft had been his adolescent Fortress of Solitude. He stared out through the loft doors at the thousand brilliant stars shimmering in the dark Kansan sky. Clark wondered if at one point in Earth's history, he could have looked into that sky and seen Rao, the star that ultimately caused the destruction of his home planet.

That passing thought briefly dampened the joy he felt but not for long. The cool, dry November air filled the loft and carried with it the smell of wood stoves warming distant farm houses. He sat on an old futon, draped with a throw that his Mom had bought at a holiday craft show in Smallville, surrounded by the scent of old creosote-soaked timbers, hay and petroleum. Clark felt a sense of peace and contentment that he had not felt since long before Jonathan Kent died. He felt that his life was finally on the right track.

He thought about the future that he must derail and believed he knew how. He thought about the past and the mistakes that he would not repeat. He thought about the training with Jor-El that he must continue to completion. He imagined his life with Lois and doing so made him smile.

Lois. There were no mysteries about Lois Lane other than how she had crept so deeply into his heart. For three weeks he had believed she was dead and that it was his actions that had caused it. Those were the three most agonizing weeks of his life. They were watershed moments for him because in that time, he quickly realized just how much he needed his contact with Lois.

Experiencing life without her; without ever having the chance to say and show what she meant to him on so many levels had been devastating. When Lois returned he resolved to find a way to make her realize that his life was sorely incomplete without her in it.

Yet the question in Clark's mind remained: how had Lois crept so deeply into his heart? Was it her eagerness to be his support when he spoke to her as the Blur? Was it the unguarded feelings she shared with the Blur that she never dared to share with Clark that made him realize just how special Lois was? Or was it the self-assured co-worker and friend that cut him no slack but clearly respected him and even regarded him as a hero?

 _Maybe it is all those things and more_ , he thought. He replayed the events of the morning in his mind and laughed aloud at her initial response to his question about what they were doing. " _I'm eating a maple donut and you're kind of invading my personal space."_

Clark remembered her surprise when he suggested becoming a couple. Hewas pleased that he caught her off guard with his proposal because had he not, he wondered if it would have been more difficult to get her to agree to begin a new relationship. _"I feel stronger when you're around, anyway."_ That was the truth and Lois had no idea what he truly meant but she would some day.

He thought about the warmth that spread throughout his body when Lois reached for his hand in the elevator. Clark knew at that moment that anything that felt so right would never end up being a mistake. He laid back on the futon, staring at the stars imagining where the next few days, weeks and months would take them. He thought about the visions Lois had of the two of them making love to one another in the future.

There were bridges that needed to be crossed before that would happen again and Clark began to consider when and how he should tell Lois about his secret.

His thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing. He looked at the display and saw "Lois". He grinned and connected the call.

"Clark Kent speaking," he answered in an official tone. _Silence_. "Hello? Lois?"

"Oh, there you are," Lois snarked, "I thought that maybe Clark Kent had been inhabited by some alien invader who didn't recognize his girlfriend when she called."

Clark chuckled. "No…not now. Not when everything is headed in the right direction."

"What are you doing, Smallville?" Lois asked pointedly as if Clark had done something wrong.

"What do you mean?" he asked defensively. "I'm just hanging out in the barn looking at the stars."

"See, that's what I mean," Lois replied. "It's Friday night, you have a new girlfriend and you're sitting alone in your boys-only secret clubhouse staring at the stars. What's wrong with this picture?"

Clark beamed. "Oh, that. Well, I thought that after all you have been through that you probably needed some rest."

"Rest?" Lois replied. "Clark, I've been unconscious for the better part of a week. How much more rest do you think I need?"

Clark shrugged his shoulders. "I just thought you'd be as tired as I am. I have been awake for the better part of a week," he added.

Lois softened her tone. "I know," she began, "and you have no idea what that means to me. To know that you were sitting by my side the whole time just…" Lois trailed off, wanting to say that it made her love him more but not yet comfortable with saying those words.

"Just what?"

"Just creeps me out a little to think you're sitting there staring at me while I sleep," she recovered. "But now that you want to be my boyfriend, I guess I can live with it."

Clark laid back with his eyes closed and a wide smile on his face. "Lois, does the sound of that seem almost unbelievable to you; that I'm your boyfriend?" Clark asked honestly.

Lois snorted. "Yes, it does," she replied, "it sounds juvenile." She then hesitantly added, "But I really like the sound of it."

"Me too," he answered. He waited for a moment and then asked, "What are you doing right now?"

Lois did not dare to tell Clark that she had spent the entire evening just thinking of him. _Let's take our time._ "Oh, I just finished cleaning up the place and putting away some laundry and when I was done I thought I should call and see what you were up to."

"So you've been laying there thinking about the same things I have been thinking about and can't fall asleep, either," Clark answered.

Lois smirked, amazed at how Clark had just busted her. "Well, you know what, Farmer John? I used to hate that you know me that well." Lois paused, and then added, "Now, I kind of love it that you do."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

"Yes, I disabled them," Clark said pointedly. "You don't need to be monitoring the farm anymore."

Lois was coming over to spend the evening with him; it was a ritual for the two of them that began well over a year ago. When she was living at the Kent Farm, she often rented movies and drew the Kent family together to watch them. Even after she moved into the apartment in the Talon, whenever Lois visited she usually brought the latest blockbuster movie with her.

When Martha left for Washington and Lana moved in, Lois quit that practice. But when Lana disappeared and she saw how devastated it left Clark, she began visiting him every few weeks, bringing a movie or her Guitar Hero game along with her.

At first her intentions were to cheer him up but soon, romantic feelings for Clark arose and the frequency of her weekend visits increased. Nearly every weekend since she returned from Star City, one evening was spent with Clark playing video games or watching movies.

Now that they had taken their relationship to the next level, Clark wanted more privacy as they shared time together. It was no secret that Chloe resented his decision to shut himself off from her and leave to begin his training. However, the increasing bitterness she displayed since he returned was clearly a result of him preferring to confide in Lois over her. Given her increasing hostility, the last thing Chloe needed to see was him intimately involved with her cousin.

Chloe had called Clark minutes earlier when she saw that the video feeds from all the surveillance cameras she had installed in the Kent Farm were blank. After conducting a systems test on the transmissions and found no problem with the transmitters or receiver, she called Clark.

"I only put them in to make sure Shelby and the farm was safe while you were up with Daddy Dearest being trained. There was no need to infer that I was spying on you," Chloe replied flatly.

"Really? Well I've been back for over two months now, Chloe. You know that I haven't gone away again." He paused and a thought triggered another question. "So how did you know the video feeds were out?"

She understood the veiled accusation. "The feeds are electronically monitored, Clark, and when a feed goes down it sends a message and audible alarm to the control screen," she said in a tone that emphasized her annoyance. "When they all go out, it's either the transmission lines, the receiver, or someone has disabled them all at once. I have twelve different messages and alarms sounding. Only two people I know are capable of disabling twelve cameras in the blink of an eye and Bart is in Colombia right now."

"Well I'm not going anywhere, Chloe so there's no longer any reason to be monitoring my home."

As she argued with him over the phone, Chloe was busy moving all the surveillance video files she had collected at the Kent Farm, including those recorded up until Clark disabled the cameras, out of a raw video folder and onto an encrypted hard drive. "Well for your information, I haven't watched or stored any video feeds from your home since you returned. I'm not spying on you, if that's what you're thinking."

Clark wasn't so sure about that but he added, "I want you to quit monitoring my phone calls too. My conversations are private and if there is a reason you need to know what I am talking about, just ask."

"Whatever, Clark," Chloe replied harshly. "But for the record, I don't monitor them. I capture them in case you come up missing or you get a call from someone in distress and the call suddenly disconnects. The call could be from Oliver, Bart, Dinah, me or even Lois." She paused, waiting for him to respond and when he didn't, she added, "I don't know why you've become so hostile towards me but it isn't fair. I didn't turn my back on you; you're the one who turned his back on me when I needed you the most. And I'm only doing what I can to keep track of the only people who are capable of defeating the threat we're facing so that when the time comes, they'll be easier to contact and assemble."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Clark said genuinely but not swayed by her explanation. "Chloe, I never meant for you or anyone else to think that I didn't care about them. But we both know that the decisions I made based on human emotions failed miserably and I am not going to make that mistake again."

"Really?" she asked sarcastically. "So that means your decisions regarding Lois are based solely on what? Kryptonian logic?"

Her mention of Lois made him angry. "Leave Lois out of this; those are personal decisions and personal decisions are mine to make. When I suspect they might have any effect on you, the team or the rest of humanity, I'll let you know but otherwise, I'm asking you to respect my privacy and stay out of my personal life."

She exhaled audibly to emphasize her frustration and her tone sharpened. "Almost every decision you make, Clark – personal or not – affects the rest of humanity. When are you going to realize that?"

"If decisions I make in my personal life have that much of an effect on others, then everyone will just have to trust me. I'm not going to check with you or anyone else before I make personal decisions unless I want a second opinion. If you can't respect that, then there's nothing left to discuss."

"Fine; good-bye, Clark!" she replied coldly and disconnected the call.

"Chloe!" Clark boomed into a dead connection. "Damn it," he hissed.

( _Meanwhile…outside approaching the Kent Farm_ )

"Get a grip on yourself, Lane," she scolded as she pulled her Jeep Grand Cherokee onto the dirt and gravel road that led to the Kent Farm driveway. _You've only been here like a million times._

Her heart raced and her chest tightened at the sight of the mailbox signaling the Kent Farm. It was a pleasantly warm Saturday afternoon for late November with a gentle, dry breeze. The old yellow farmhouse that had always been a comforting sight to her now launched a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. Inside that familiar old home was the man she loved; the man that loved her. She knew it, he knew it and almost immediately, nothing had the familiar feel it once had. Now they were a couple and for her, the stakes were higher than they had ever been in any relationship before. She had wanted so long for Clark to love her and she had no intention of losing him the way she has lost others. This was the one time Lois decided she would tread lightly, an approach that put her off-balance.

She parked her car and climbed out, half excited and half petrified. She closed the door and noticed her palms were sweaty. "Gross," she exclaimed and wiped them on the sides of her jeans. She took a deep breath and tentatively walked up to the porch. Before reaching the first step, she heard Clark talking to someone. " _I'm not going to check with you or anyone else before I make personal decisions unless I want a second opinion. If you can't respect that, then there's nothing left to discuss."_

Lois froze and her head exploded with worried questions. _Was Clark talking to Martha like that? Had he called her and told his Mom about their relationship and she did not approve of her? Oh God, this is going to be a problem,_ she thought and felt like melting right into the ground where she stood.

Before her imagination ran further away, she heard him bark, " _Chloe!_ " followed by a faint, " _Damn it,_ " a phrase she never associated with Clark and never imagined hearing from him.

Her anxiety vanished, suddenly replaced by an instinctual need to comfort her man. She bounded up the steps and on to the porch. Through the screen door she saw Clark turn and face her.

His anguished expression alarmed her. "Clark," she said, throwing open the screen door and racing to him. She wrapped her arms around him and burying her head in his massive chest. "What's wrong?"

He responded with a loving embrace, resting his chin lightly on the top of her head. He wasn't sure how to answer her question. "Chloe," he replied, assuming that Lois had overheard him shout her name, but he said nothing further.

"I heard you saying something to her about respecting your personal decisions." Lois eased her hug and leaned back to look at him. "Were you talking about me?"

Her face sapped all of his anger and he smiled gently. "No, it wasn't about you." He leaned down and pulled her into him, kissed her deeply and she responded.

When they broke their kiss Clark said, "I'm just glad you're here, Lois. Let's not spoil the moment; we can talk it about it another time if you want, okay?" She nodded and he smiled again. "It's a special moment; it's the first time you've been here since, uh, since we, uh…"

"Since we became a couple?" Lois finished. "I know; it's weird, right? It's okay, Smallville; it's probably just easier for you if you say the words slowly," she chided.

She let go of him and walked past him toward the kitchen. "Personally, I like the way it sounds." She stopped and swiveled back around to face him. She cocked her head and arched an eyebrow. "What about you? Have you changed your mind already?" Before he could answer, she pivoted back around and disappeared inside the kitchen. "What have you got to eat around here?" she called out.

Clark stood where she had left him, shook his head and grinned.

( _Later that evening_ )

After finishing a pizza delivered from the only pizzeria in Smallville, they settled onto the couch. Lois had brought _The Proposal_ with her and Clark put it in the DVD player. He sat down next to her, unsure if now was when he should put his arm around her or not.

Lois sat rigidly next to him wondering the same thing. She cleared her throat. "What about the popcorn?" she asked.

"Right!" he replied and jumped up and hurried to the kitchen.

 _Pizza_ , she thought to herself. _All that garlic! God Lane, why did you suggest that?_ She got up, retrieved her purse and clawed through it looking for a piece of gum or mint. She couldn't find anything but old credit card receipts, a compact, some lipstick and Kleenex. She scampered up the stairs to the bathroom, grabbed Clark's toothpaste and squeezed a small amount onto her finger. She rubbed it on her teeth, swished it around in her mouth and swallowed the minty froth that had formed. She cupped her hand beneath the faucet and slurped some water, swished it around and spit it out.

 _Better,_ she thought. She looked in the mirror. _Calm down_ , she told herself, _it's just Clark._ She took a deep breath and headed back downstairs, reaching the couch just as Clark was returning with the bowl of microwave popcorn.

"Extra butter," he announced and handed the bowl to Lois. He sat down next to her again.

Lois started the movie but as the opening credits appeared, she realized that she couldn't relax. She wondered what was going through Clark's mind, if he was going to sit back and show her any affection or if she should do something to initiate it. She nervously shoveled popcorn into her mouth.

Clark sat motionlessly next to Lois, staring at the TV but thinking about what he should be doing. He wanted to pull her closer to him but since he had promised her that they would take their time, he was unsure if he should make the first move. The last thing he wanted was to hear Lois telling him to slow down again. _C'mon, think, Clark!_

As Sandra Bullock walked through her office on screen and her employees ducked into their cubicles to avoid her glance, Clark quipped to Lois that it reminded him of being in the basement of the Planet when she arrived in the morning.

She glanced at him and faked a smile, eliciting a genuine one from him. "Cute one, Farmer John. Oh look," she said pointing at the screen, "Ryan Reynolds is fetching her a cup of coffee. Now who does that remind you of?"

He chuckled and she smiled, playfully bumping into him with her shoulder and shoving him off balance. As he straightened back up, he reached out, draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer as he leaned back against the couch. She shifted willingly, drawing her feet up on the couch and nestling her head into the hollow of his shoulder.

Her heart beat a little faster when Clark pulled her closer; he heard it. But as Lois snuggled into a comfortable position against him, he heard her heartbeat gradually slow to its normal, melodious rhythm.

The smell of her hair and perfume mixed and rose as she grew warmer pressed against him. Clark loved the way she smelled and how soft her hair was on his cheek. She was soft to the touch and he gave her an almost imperceptible hug and then kissed her lightly on the top of the head.

Lois smiled, sighed contentedly, moved the bowl onto Clark's lap and fed him a few pieces of popcorn.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Clark did not see the end of the movie on Saturday night. With Lois resting in his arms he had fallen asleep. She awakened him as she slid out from under his arm to reach for the remote that turned off the TV and DVD player.

"Sorry," Clark muttered as he awoke. "I guess I got too comfortable." He smiled and Lois patted his leg.

"That's okay, Clark," she replied. "I should be getting back home; I'm a little tired, too."

Clark stood and walked her to the car. The air was crisp and the night was clear. Lois shivered at the temperature change and Clark pulled her to him as they leaned against her car. His warmth radiated and it felt good to her.

"Thanks for coming over and for the movie." He smiled and stared into her eyes like he had never noticed them before.

Lois stared back, and a warm feeling spread through her that had nothing to do with the body heat that radiated from Clark. She leaned into him and found his lips. One hand roamed through his thick mane as she pulled him deeper into the kiss. His arms tightened around her lithe, muscular body and Clark felt her pulse racing.

Flashes of Lois' vision of lovemaking in the future raced across Clark's mind and he never felt more connected with another person as he did at that moment.

They broke from their kiss and Lois rested her head against his chest. She whispered, "I could get used to this."

He smiled. "I think you better get used to it," he replied softly, lightly kissing the top of her head.

They stood with their arms around each other, neither wanting to part but both knowing that they had plenty of time to move their relationship forward. They kissed once more before Lois climbed into her car and left for home.

He called her the next day and they spoke for an hour about nothing. The topic of Chloe never surfaced because both were in such a good mood that neither wanted to spoil it by talking about her. Lois thought about asking Clark what happened but then reconsidered. She knew that when Clark was ready to talk about it, he would tell her.

Clark was relieved that she never brought it up because he spent hours the night before thinking about the argument with Chloe, how to explain it to Lois without including his secret, and then about when and how he should tell Lois about his secret. Clark had settled any doubt in his mind about telling Lois the secret; what he debated was when, where, and how he should tell her.

( _Later, that day)_

Lois climbed into bed just after 9 PM. She set her alarm for 5:30 AM because she wanted some extra time to look good when she saw Clark. She grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand and punched his cell phone speed dial number.

"Hi there!" he answered. "Are you headed for bed?"

"Yep, I just climbed in and I wanted to say 'Good Night'. How about you?"

"I'm not far behind. I was watching the Sunday Night Game but it's already a turning into a blow-out. I was going to turn it off at halftime and go to bed."

"You know what I was thinking today? I was thinking that you should come over on Thursday and I'll make us our first Thanksgiving dinner. Whaddya say, Smallville?"

Clark paused as memories of Lois' past meals flashed through his head and his stomach turned. "That would be swell, Lois," he replied, trying to sound sincere.

She snorted. "Swell?" she repeated incredulously. "Really Clark, we have to start working on your vocabulary. People are going to start thinking that I'm dating the guy from _Leave it to Beaver_." She giggled.

"The good guy, I hope; not Eddie Haskell," he replied. "What's wrong with swell?" he asked, sounding very defensive.

She sighed. "Nothing, if we were talking about a sports injury or water retention, Flannel Boy."

Clark grinned, suppressing laughter. "Okay then, having Thanksgiving dinner together with you would be great. Is that better?"

"Much," she replied.

"Just us, right?" Clark worried that perhaps Lois was devising a plan to help patch up his relationship with Chloe.

"Of course just us. Why? Do you think we should invite other people?"

"No. I was just wondering…" he replied and trailed off.

"Chloe," she replied.

"Yes," he answered, hesitantly. "I guess we never talked about it yesterday."

"I know," Lois said, "but I'm glad we didn't. That was such a great evening." She paused, waiting for him to say something but he did not. "So what's going on between you and Chloe, Clark? She used to be your best friend; what happened?"

"It's my fault, I guess," Clark started. He took a deep breath that Lois could hear and let it out before he began. "When her husband died, I couldn't bring myself to be there with her. I couldn't help but feel that if she hadn't gotten involved with the man who murdered Jimmy, none of it would have happened and she'd be happily married today." He paused because he hated not being completely honest with Lois but the whole truth would cost him his secret. Now was not the time or the setting to disclose it to her.

"I visited her a few days after the funeral and she asked me why I wasn't there for her when she needed me. I couldn't bear to give her a straight answer but I didn't have to. She knew that I blamed the relationship she fostered with that maniac for Jimmy's death without even having to say it. Since then, our friendship has deteriorated."

Lois was silent for a moment and then said, "Clark, we all miss him. My heart breaks every time I think about him. I didn't realize how much I loved that tadpole until he wasn't around anymore to annoy me." She paused, caught by surprise at a lump that formed in her throat. She took a deep breath and continued.

"But I don't think you're wrong in blaming her. When I was sitting by Jimmy's hospital bed in Star City, I didn't know what to think when Chloe kept traveling back to Metropolis. When I found out she went back because she was concerned about some psychopathic paramedic, I was pretty upset with her too."

"Yes, but at least she didn't realize you felt like that. She knows how I felt and she feels I turned my back on her." Clark took another deep breath and exhaled. "Maybe she has a right to feel that way but I can't help how I feel. I've shut myself off to her since then because I can't look at her the same way."

"And you've been more open with me," Lois added, drawing a conclusion. "Chloe has been pretty cold towards me lately. I suppose that's because she thinks I took her place as your 'BFF'."

"Lois," he began, "I've been more open with you because I want to be; not because I shut myself off from Chloe. To be honest, I've wanted to be more open with you for a long time but I just didn't know if you were that interested in me. You seemed more interested in a relationship with your super-fast mystery man and I didn't want to get kicked to the curb, you know?"

"Do I know? Hmm, let me think," she replied and paused for effect. "Oh yeah, I can describe it in two words: Lana Lang. I know exactly how it feels to think you're getting somewhere only to find yourself sitting on the curb."

Clark's stomach turned for a second time. "Ouch," he said. "I guess I had that one coming." He paused for a moment and added, "Lois, I hope someday you can forgive me for that," he said genuinely.

"Pftt; I forgave you a long time ago, Farmer John. The way I look at it, everyone is entitled to make the biggest mistake in their life once. I'm just glad that you had the good sense to crawl back to me."

He grinned and nodded. "You have no idea just how true that is, Lois."

"Okay, so we're set for Thanksgiving dinner, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Clark replied smiling; knowing the truth behind his response was not as cliché as it sounded.

"Good," she replied cheerily. "We'll nail down the details tomorrow at work."

"That sounds great. I'll stop by and pick you up a donut on the way in."

"Oh," she sighed, "did I ever tell you that you're the best?"

"Lately? No." Clark said. "I think lately you implied that I was some out-of-touch hick."

Lois snorted. "You are; but you're the best out-of-touch hick I've ever known."

"Well that's a relief;" he replied, "there are so many of us running around Metropolis these days I'd hate to lose you to one of the other ones."

"Not in a thousand years, Clark Kent!"

"Good!" He paused, sensing that the conversation needed to end. "I guess I better let you get to sleep. I'll see you in the morning, Lois. Good night."

"Good night, hon…ah, Clark," Lois fumbled and grimaced. She disconnected the call and rolled her eyes, then smiled.

( _Lois drifts off to sleep and begins to dream)_

 _Lois is lying next to Clark in bed._ _She is aware that she's naked and she runs her hand across his bare chest and follows it down beneath the sheets to finds that he is naked too._ _She senses that they have made love but does not recall having done so; only that she feels quite satisfied and content._

 _It seems like morning but the red glow of the sun makes her think it is late afternoon and she's disoriented._ _She gets up, wraps a sheet around her and goes to the loft window and looks at the red, setting sun._ _From behind, Clark places his hands around her and she leans back against him as they both look at the ruby sun._

 _She turns within the grasp of his powerful arms and they kiss._ _She feels a primal burning deep inside of her, emanating from her abdomen._

Lois awoke in a blissful state although her heart was pounding. She looked at the clock. 4:39 AM. She took a deep breath and exhaled, then smiled and closed her eyes once again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

"I'd like three maple donuts too, please." Clark checked his watch as the clerk pulled the donuts from their tray in the display case and put them in a bag. He wanted to make sure he arrived before Lois so that the donuts and coffee would be waiting for her rather than her waiting for the donuts and coffee.

Clark paid the clerk and left with a steaming cup of gourmet coffee and a white bag with the donuts. He hurried across the street and into the Daily Planet building. By the time he reached his desk in the basement, he heard Lois exchanging pleasantries with another employee in the lobby above. _Perfect timing,_ he though.

He picked up her coffee, removed the lid and glanced around. He looked back and heated the coffee just a little more before replacing the lid and putting it next to the donut bag on her desk.

He snapped on his computer and the Daily Planet home page opened just as Lois entered the bull pen.

"Good morning, Clark," she said cheerily, dragging her hand across his shoulders as she made her way to her seat. She sat and opened the bag. "Three donuts?" she exclaimed with a surprised look on her face.

"You're supposed to eat every three hours, remember?" he replied. "I don't want my partner to have a relapse." He winked.

"You're so thoughtful, Clark. Thank you." She pulled one of the donuts out of the bag and took a bite. She sipped the coffee to wash the donut down. Clark stared at her in awe and Lois caught a glimpse of his expression. "What?"

His expression changed to a sheepish grin. "Nothing," he paused and then added, "It's just that you look amazing this morning. I can't figure out what it is but," he glanced around and then leaned forward and in a low voice, "you look really beautiful today, Lois. I mean, you look like left a photo-shoot or something."

Lois smiled discreetly and looked down at her keyboard. She didn't have the heart to tell him that she woke up forty-five minutes earlier than normal so she could look that way. She looked back up to still finding him gazing at her. Looks were exchanged between the two of them; each thanking the other without words for the happiness they felt.

Since they decided to keep their relationship under wraps for a while, particularly at the office, they both smiled and turned their attention back to their work. It was no secret that Clark was regarded by all the women at the Planet as the nicest man they knew and of course, a sexually-desirable "hunk". Most of the men there viewed Lois as a feisty and gorgeous dream girl that would be as much fun to hang out with as she would be in bed. The added pressure of co-workers pulling them aside and prying into their personal lives was something that neither Clark nor Lois wanted. Accepting reality, they knew they could not act indifferently toward one another no matter how hard they tried. So they agreed that their behavior in the office should never lead others to view them as anything other than very close friends.

They set about their normal routine of checking their emails for assignments and working on making changes to stories they had submitted to Brady for his editorial changes. After about an hour, Lois leaned forward in her chair and put her elbows on her desk. "So," she began, "have you given any more thought to Thanksgiving?"

Clark smiled while finishing up a change Brady had given him. He had several thoughts about Thanksgiving but he didn't think she'd appreciate many of them. "Of course I have," he said in a lower than normal tone. "I'm really looking forward to spending it with you."

She beamed. "Me too! It will be romantic; just the two of us spending our first holiday together." She leaned back and straightened up a bit. "I was hoping you could come over around two in the afternoon. We could watch some of the football games while the dinner is cooking."

Clark suppressed a wide grin and nodded instead. "Two should be good. Great! Is there anything you want me to bring; wine, dessert?"

"Nope, I've got it all planned out. Just bring yourself."

He frowned. "Are you sure? I really feel like I should."

"Hello? Just bring yourself." She glanced around to see if anyone was close enough to hear and then leaned forward. "I want to do this for us, Clark." She smiled and leaned back.

Her expression and smile melted away any concerns he had over the condition of his Thanksgiving meal. Looking into Lois' eyes right then he would have happily eaten dirt as long as she was the one who served it to him. He smiled gently. "Okay. I just didn't want you to have to go to all the trouble if I could help."

"That's really sweet of you, Clark, but I've got it under control." She winked. "Do you like your stuffing inside the turkey or just baked outside?"

He was impressed; maybe he had underestimated Lois. "Either way really; my favorite is inside the turkey."

"Me too," she replied. She smiled broadly and arched an eyebrow. "This is going to be great."

( _Later than evening_ )

 _"_ _Hello Miss Lane."_

Lois had been lying on her bed preparing a shopping list for the Thanksgiving meal when her cell phone began playing _I Need A Hero_. She was surprised when she heard the ring tone because it had been over a week since she last heard from The Blur. The ring tone sent a small tingle up her spine as she groped for the phone.

"I haven't heard from you for a while; have you been okay? I have been worried about you."

 _"_ _I have been fine, thank you._ _How have you been?"_

Over the past year as she advanced her familiarity with The Blur, she had continued to find their talks more and more comforting. They had developed a special bond as they shared their thoughts and their feelings on a level she had never before experienced. Speaking with the mysterious Blur was safe; she only knew him from his deeds and as an electronically-altered voice.

Now that she was committed to Clark, she felt differently about The Blur. She still admired and respected him but she suddenly found herself hesitant to share personal thoughts and feelings with him. Doing so made her feel disloyal to Clark and disloyal was something that she never would be. Yet, she couldn't turn her back on The Blur. Somehow, she knew that he needed her on a level that only she could fill and that it was important for him.

"I'm doing great," she replied. "Better than great, really," she added. "I've never been better."

 _"_ _I'm glad to hear that._ _You sound very happy, Miss Lane._ _Has something good happened to you since we last spoke?"_

Lois hesitated and instantly it felt wrong. She felt like she was marginalizing Clark by being reluctant to reveal the new developments in their relationship. But while she did not want to deny her relationship, she feared she'd lose her connection with The Blur if he knew she was romantically involved with another man. For some inexplicable reason, she needed her connection with The Blur too, but her hesitation to talk about Clark made her feel ashamed. It was Clark that mattered the most and she could not deny her feelings for him.

"Yes, something good has happened. A friend and co-worker that I've known for years and have had a really strong attraction to finally asked me to be his girlfriend. I'd almost given up hope that we'd ever go beyond co-workers or friends. Out of the clear blue, he asked me about being a couple. I'm so happy."

 _"_ _That's wonderful, Miss Lane._ _It's good to have someone to love, isn't it?_ _It makes all the difference."_

"Well," she began, "we haven't gotten that far just yet but honestly, I have loved him forever and I'm pretty sure that he loves me, even though he hasn't said so."

 _"_ _Of course he does; he asked you to be his girlfriend, didn't he?_ _Do you think he would want to take your relationship to that level if there weren't feelings of love behind it?"_

"I suppose not; I'm sure of it, really. He just hasn't said the words but he shows it a lot. He's just the greatest guy you could ever imagine."

" _Maybe he's just afraid of how you'd react if he said it._ _Does he know that you love him?_ "

"He should," she replied.

" _Should?_ _So you haven't told him exactly how you feel either._ _Hmmm."_

"Hmmm, what? Do you think that I should tell him first?"

 _"_ _That would be your decision to make. I'm just surprised that you haven't told him yet since when we talk, you don't seem to hold back your thoughts or feelings, Miss Lane."_

"You know, I almost did once but I'm glad I didn't because just as I was about to kiss him and tell him how I felt, his ex-girlfriend showed up and he sort of dumped me when he saw her. I was humiliated enough by just being left on a dance floor by myself. I would have died had I told him I loved him and then she showed up."

" _I can understand that._ _But one of you needs to be open about your feelings and I'll bet that once one of you does, the other will too_."

Lois had thought about that ever since Clark told her that he wanted to move their relationship forward. She just wanted to be sure his commitment before she committed herself again. "We agreed that we'd take our time developing this part of our relationship. I think when the time is right, we'll open up to each other about our feelings. Until then I'm just unbelievably happy that we've moved beyond the friends and co-workers stage."

 _"_ _Well I'm glad that you're happy, Miss Lane._ _You deserve to be happy._ "

Lois paused. She had shared more than she intended to share about her relationship with Clark but talking to The Blur was just so easy and safe. Still, she wanted to change the subject.

"Enough about me; what have you been up to? Crime has really dropped lately; have you been that busy stopping it or is it because of you that it's dropped?"

" _It's slowed down quite a bit lately so I've been less busy._ _A lot of people will be leaving town for the holiday so it should be quieter than usual._ "

"Do you have plans for the holiday?" she asked.

" _Yes, I do._ _I have plans to spend it with someone very special._ "

A twinge of jealousy ran through Lois and again, she felt ashamed for having those feelings. "So there's someone special in your life, too?"

 _"_ _Yes, Miss Lane._ _I have someone very special in my life."_

"That's wonderful. You know, maybe someday we can all do something together," she suggested.

The Blur chuckled. " _A double date?_ _I never really thought about that but that would be interesting and I'm sure it would be a lot of fun."_

"It would be a lot of fun. I think you'd like my boyfriend. In a lot of ways, he's just like you and in others, he's so very different. But he's a really good man and I consider myself lucky to have him."

" _I'm sure he feels the same way, Miss Lane."_ Clark paused. _"_ _I'm sorry, something has come up and I have to be going._ _Congratulations on your good news and if I don't speak with you before then, have a Happy Thanksgiving._ "

"You too; and thanks so much for calling." Lois disconnected the call and lay back in her bed. She closed her eyes for a moment, then rolled over and got her journal and pen from the nightstand.

 _November 23, 2009_

 _Dear diary,_

 _A GREAT day! First, Clark was just amazing today. Every time I think I can't love this man any more than I already do, he does or says something that just tops whatever I felt before. Today he tells me I look like I just came from a photo-shoot and said I was beautiful. Ha! If only he knew how long it took me this morning to look that way._

 _After an eye-sex session, we made plans for dinner and I know he's as excited as I am about it. I can't wait for Thursday, it will be our first holiday as a couple. God, I'm really turning into a sappy girl but if it's because of Clark, I don't care._

 _Then tonight, The Blur calls. At first I felt bad about telling him about Clark and me but then I realized that at the very worst, I would lose my relationship with him. Although I'd hate for that to happen, it's Clark that I couldn't stand to lose. So I told him all about us and he was happy for me. Then he tells me he has someone very special too. That sort of surprised me and it made me wonder why he isn't talking to her? Anyway, I kind of felt jealous when he said that because I wondered what things he shares with her? But then I thought about what I have._

 _Even though The Blur is amazing, so is Clark and he's mine. I can look at him, touch him and kiss him whenever I want and I've never been happier than I am with him._

 _LJL_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

"Hello, Cuz," Chloe said in an artificially cheery voice when Lois answered the phone.

"Well hi there!" Lois replied, not recognizing the façade Chloe was presenting. "It's been a while. How are you getting along?"

In truth, Chloe was not getting along very well. She continued isolating herself from her friends and her family and although she realized it, something was driving her to continue doing so. Part of it was bitterness at Clark for refusing to go back in time and save Jimmy. Part was because her cousin had moved well ahead of her in line for Clark's attention and even worse, his trust.

She knew about the change in Lois and Clark's relationship. When she first realized that Clark had left, she began monitoring his calls to pinpoint his location. At that time, she was simply logging the numbers he called and the duration of each call. There were two of them; both to Martha Kent. But those calls were sufficient for her to locate Clark in the Arctic and she deduced that he was training at the Fortress.

But when Lois reappeared and informed in Chloe that The Blur was confiding in her, she began recording the conversations he was having with Lois as The Blur and as Clark. Armed with very advanced technical equipment, she could not only decode and record the encrypted conversations between The Blur and Lois; she could also record the open conversations between Clark and Lois on the fly.

She had tapped every member of the Justice League's phone and recorded their conversations. However, she did this as cover for recording Clark's. His calls were the only ones she listened to. She had listened to Lois' call to Clark on Sunday night and had listened to The Blur's call to Lois last night.

Somewhere inside of her she knew that she should be happy for her cousin but that feeling was buried deep beneath layers of envy and resentment that had built for years. Any hope of that feeling seeing the light of day was lost after she listened to them talking about her on Sunday night.

Shaking off her thoughts, Chloe replied, "Oh, I'm getting along okay. I'm adjusting. Working for one of Oliver's tech divisions has made it a lot easier because I'm so busy that I don't have time to dwell on things that would bring me down."

Lois' heart ached for her cousin. Chloe had lost so much in the past six months and Lois marveled at how resilient she appeared to be. But she knew that Chloe was hurting deep inside from the loss of Jimmy and the fractured friendship with Clark.

"What's new with you?"

"Oh," Lois began, "not much really." She did not want to pile her happiness on top of Chloe's losses. "Work is really slow this week with the holiday and all. No one is doing anything noteworthy or notorious."

Chloe chuckled. "Yes, when all is right with the world it makes for a boring news day," she replied, gritting her teeth that Lois was holding back about her relationship with Clark. She recovered and continued. "The reason I called was to see if you'd like to join me for Thanksgiving. I'm not cooking anything and I'm sure you're not so I thought maybe we could spend a little bonding time at a restaurant I found that has a special Thanksgiving feast. What do you say?"

She paused, not knowing how to answer. "Oh, I can't Chloe. I made other plans for Thanksgiving," she replied, hoping that her cousin would not ask for details, and quickly added, "but I'll take a rain check on it. It's been too long since we had a girls' night out."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that but sure, we can catch up another time," she replied. "Maybe we can go out some weekend."

"That would be great," Lois answered, relieved that the conversation did not go where she had feared it might.

There was an uncomfortable pause. Lois knew that Chloe had become distant with her and therefore, she was unwilling to discuss her private life any further. Since she knew nothing about what Chloe was actually doing, she had nothing to ask her about. Chloe had not volunteered much information about her work, and outside of work and their private lives there was nothing to talk about.

"Maybe I'll see if Clark would like to go with me," Chloe interjected. "Our relationship has been a little strained for a while and maybe we should try to iron that out. What do you think?"

Lois hesitated. She wasn't sure how to respond but she took a chance that Chloe didn't know that she was aware of the depth of their rift. "I don't know, Cuz; I haven't really noticed much of a difference from this end. I mean, I noticed you haven't been calling him as much but I figured you were just busy with your new job." She knew she should have stopped at that point but she added, "Of course, I don't know if you two talked at night or anything."

"You mean like when you talk to The Blur?"

Lois' face burned because she knew Chloe was trying to pry information out of her and she didn't like it. "I guess so. It's strange you should equate one with the other though."

"Oh," Chloe began, "I just meant the confidential and personal conversations you have with The Blur are like Clark and I used to have when we talked. We just haven't had those talks in a while."

"Well, I don't know what you and Clark talked about but the conversations I have with The Blur aren't that personal; they usually involve what he's doing or has done; maybe some philosophical discussions about crime and justice," she defended.

"I see."

The uncomfortable pause made Lois angry as well as sad. "Well Chloe, I have to go. Brady wanted me to come see him and he's just returned to his office."

"Sure; no problem, Lo. Sorry we can't get together on Thanksgiving but maybe Christmas. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, Chloe. Talk to you soon." Lois hung up, not sure of where the relationship with her cousin was heading.

 _Liar_ , Chloe thought. _I know what you talk about, Lois_.

( _Back at the Kent Farm_ )

Clark had just returned from the barn. He had replaced a fuel pump on a tractor and he needed to clean up. He was washing his hands at the kitchen sink when his cell phone rang. Lois, he thought. He smiled to himself, dried his hands, sat down at the kitchen table and answered the call on the third ring.

"Hello, Sweetheart," Martha said.

"Hi, Mom. This is a nice surprise."

"I know it's been a couple weeks since we talked but I've been so very busy with this health care bill that is up for debate. Reading thousands of pages of the bill and its amendments has been nothing short of exhausting. But I feel like I should read it if I'm going to vote on it."

"I do too, Mom," he replied. "I wish every politician read what they voted on!"

The junior senator chuckled. "That's another story; don't get me started! I don't have much time, Clark, but I wanted to call you and tell you that I'm not going to be able to make it home for Thanksgiving. I'm sorry and I'd love nothing more than to spend it with you but I feel I owe it to the people of Kansas to be on top of this legislation and I didn't want my aides to miss Thanksgiving with their families just so that I could be with mine." Martha paused and then asked, "Can you forgive me for that?"

He smiled. "Of course, Mom; I would expect nothing less from you." He hesitated and then added, "Besides, I'm covered. I've been invited to Thanksgiving dinner already."

"Oh, that's a relief! I just hated to think of you sitting all alone with Shelby eating some frozen dinner or something," she exclaimed. "How kind of some family to include you in their Thanksgiving dinner! Is it someone from work; someone I know, Sweetheart?"

Anticipating her reaction, Clark smirked. "It's both; Lois invited me for dinner."

There was a pause and then Martha snickered. "Lois?" She began laughing. "Oh Clark, I know you have an iron stomach but I don't know if even you can handle that." Her laughing subsided to a chuckle. "And I was worried about you eating a frozen dinner! Please tell me she's getting a prepared meal from a store or that Chloe is helping her."

Clark grinned broadly. "No, it's just her."

Martha giggled. "Oh, I would love to be a fly on the wall watching that! Why in the world would Lois ask you to dinner; she's got so many talents but even she knows that cooking isn't one of them." She giggled. "I'm sorry, but the thought of Lois cooking a Thanksgiving dinner is just…"

"I know, Mom. My stomach did a somersault when she asked but I couldn't tell her no. Lois is doing it because she cares about me and wanted to do something nice. How could I turn her down?"

"That's true, Clark; it's not like you could break a leg or suffer a self-inflicted gunshot wound," she replied, breaking in to a chuckle.

Clark snickered. "No; but I thought about it."

Martha paused and her tone suddenly changed. "Do I get the sense that something is going on between you two, Clark?"

He shook his head amazed at his Mom. Martha Kent had no special powers except those bestowed on mothers. Her intuition and her ability to read between the lines when it came to her son was a power as astounding as any of his own. "Well, Lois and I are becoming a lot closer, Mom." He paused, shifted in his chair and then added, "Actually, to be perfectly honest, we're dating now."

"Oh Sweetheart," she cried, "You don't know how happy I am to hear that. Lois is such a beautiful young woman in so many ways. She has such integrity and no one has a bigger heart. I know you two didn't exactly hit it off when you first met but it didn't take your father or me long to see what a jewel Lois is."

"If you thought that about her, Mom," Clark asked, "why didn't you ever say anything to me about it?"

"Clark, your personal life is yours. I'm not saying there weren't moments that I thought about suggesting that you take a closer look at Lois, especially when it looked like you were going to make a huge mistake. But I decided that it was your decision and your mistake to make and that it wasn't my place to interfere. Maybe I was worried that you wouldn't listen to me.

"Now it seems you've found what your father and I knew long ago. We always said that there was no one on Earth who could complete Clark Kent like Lois Lane would. We'd laugh about it but we knew it was so true. Your father would be so happy, Sweetheart."

"Well we're just dating, Mom and we decided just last week so I don't know where it's headed and we're taking our time to make sure it works before we get too much invested. She doesn't know my secret yet but I'm sure that she'll understand and accept me for who and what I am."

"I know she will, too. Son, now that you two have found your way to one another, I know it's going to be a lasting decision.

"But I understand that you want to take it slow and I think that's a good decision for both of you. Lois will have a lot to deal with. I can't say more but I know that being with you may cause her some unforeseen problems."

Clark nodded. "I know; her being in danger because she knows my secret."

"Oh I don't worry about Lois like that and you shouldn't either. She's not some china doll, Clark; she's strong and she can take care of herself without you hovering over her. But there will be other problems. I'll talk to Lois about it but I can only do that after you tell her your secret."

It was an odd remark but he presumed his Mom was referring to something about his heritage. "Okay, Mom. Anyway, I'm glad I got to tell you now because I wanted you to know before you got here so you weren't surprised. I'd just ask that you keep it our secret for now."

"Of course, Son. Oh, I can't wait to see you both," Martha's voice began to quiver, "and give Lois a big hug. I do love her like a daughter and I'm just so happy for both of you." She paused to regain her composure. "Clark, I have to go but I'll call you again soon." Then she began to snicker and then cleared her throat. "Have a happy Thanksgiving."

"You too, Mom; I love you. Bye." Clark disconnected his phone. He thought about what his Mom had said about his Dad and how happy he'd be learning that they were a couple. He smiled sadly, wishing he could see the happiness on his Dad's face as he told him about their relationship. He sighed, turned out the kitchen light and headed to bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

Clark climbed the stairs to Lois' apartment with a bouquet of flowers. He listened for signs of distress coming from her apartment but heard nothing more than a football game blaring from her television. He knocked on Lois' door at exactly 2 PM and she opened it looking harried but under control and drop-dead gorgeous. Although she was simply wearing casual jeans, a maroon sweater with a little turkey in a Pilgrim hat pin, and had her hair pulled back in a pony tail, she had a glow about her. She met him with a wide smile and blazing hazel eyes. His bouquet of flowers garnered him a huge hug.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Smallville," she said as he walked in. She took the bouquet into the kitchen and reappeared. "Come on in and make yourself comfortable."

He walked into the living room where Lois had two glasses of wine on the coffee table and the football game playing on the TV. Clark noticed the familiar aroma of turkey roasting in the oven, mixed with the fragrance of a floral air freshener and something burnt. "How's the dinner coming; the turkey smells great," he exaggerated.

She smiled proudly. "Thanks! You know I'm aware that my culinary prowess isn't exactly legendary but I think I've got things under control." She sat down on the couch facing him with one leg tucked beneath her. "I just want everything to be perfect for our first holiday together." She picked up her wine glass and motioned for him to do the same. After he did, she clinked her glass to his in a toast. "To the start of us," she said simply.

Clark smiled at how pleased Lois was with herself and he was pleasantly surprised at how under control everything seemed. "To us," he replied and took a sip of wine. He smirked and quipped, "Only the finer things for Lois Lane."

She rolled her eyes and then she snickered. She put down her glass and leaned close to his lips. "Well, I think you're pretty fine, Mr. Kent," she said and kissed him with parted lips. When they separated, she said, "I'm really happy we decided to do this."

Clark smiled and nodded. "I'm glad that you're happy, Lois. You deserve to be happy." Lois smiled; then cocked her head and looked at him strangely.

"Is something wrong?"

She shook her head and her expression returned to normal. "No; just when you said that it made me think of something."

"Oh," he replied, realizing what that 'something' was. He changed the subject. "Is there anything I can help you with in the kitchen?"

Lois shrugged her shoulders. "Sure. You can pull the turkey out and uncover it." She looked at her watch. "We should probably do it now."

He followed her to the kitchen and noticed the sink full of pots and utensils. One of the pots appeared to be soaking loose the charred remains of some unrecognizable substance. She handed him some oven mitts and he opened the oven door, pulled the turkey pan out and set it on the counter. He peeled back the foil as Lois cleaned a pot that sat in the sink. Clark examined the turkey. He was about to say that something didn't look right when he realized that Lois had put the turkey upside down in the pan. He glanced over and saw her rummaging through the refrigerator for something. He slipped off his mitts, picked up the turkey, turned it over, and then set it properly in the pan.

"How does it look," Lois asked.

He suppressed a smile. "It looks like it needs to brown up a bit."

"Good," she replied, "just put it back in without the foil over it and it will brown up over the last hour according to the instructions I read."

"Okay; are you going to use the giblets for gravy?"

"Yuch," she replied. "I don't like them in the first place which is fine because the turkey didn't come with any."

"It didn't?" Clark frowned. Using x-ray vision, he looked at the cavity of the turkey and stuffed inside were the plastic packets containing the giblets and the neck. He stifled a laugh. His dilemma was getting the packets out of the turkey without Lois seeing. "Lois, could you get me some more wine?"

She smiled. "Sure, Clark."

As Lois walked into the living room, Clark extracted both packets out of the turkey and re-stuffed the cavity. Before she returned, he wiped off his hands and put the packets in the trash with the turkey packaging. _Crisis averted,_ he thought. It was at that moment he realized that the packets were not at all warm. "How much longer is this supposed to roast? It still seems pretty cold," he said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Another hour," she replied confidently. "It should be done around 3:30. It will be fine, Clark; just put it back in the oven."

Clark nodded. _Not a chance,_ he thought and again suppressed a smile. He slid the turkey, now positioned upright, back in the oven.

"Wait," Lois called and stepped in next to him and put five baking potatoes in the oven.

"Wow, that's a lot of potatoes, Lois."

"It seems like a lot, Clark, but when you mash them, they shrink down." She looked at the turkey. "Maybe you're right about the turkey," she said, "I better turn up the heat a little bit." She reached over and changed the temperature from 325 to 375 degrees. "That should do it," she exclaimed and closed the oven door. She stood up and grabbed a large turkey basting syringe. She suctioned some of the juices and squirted it over the turkey. "In about 30 minutes, I'm supposed to do that again to help it brown."

Clark nodded. "I used to see my Mom do that. Hey, that reminds me…" He was cut short by Lois pushing him in the back.

"Okay, Clark," she interrupted, "you've done your duty; time to get out of the kitchen. Let's go sit down and watch the game for a little while."

He walked back into the living room and Lois followed, carrying his wine glass. "Here," she said, handing him the glass after he sat. She wedged herself in next to him with her arm around his shoulders, leaning against him. "Dallas came out flat," she remarked, looking at the TV, "but they've really picked it up. Poor Kansas City!" She grabbed her wine glass and drank the remainder of its contents.

They sat and watched the game for a while. Clark relaxed, reached out and rested his hand on her leg while Lois absently played with the locks of hair on the back of his head.

At a commercial break, Lois looked at her watch, got up and went into the kitchen. Clark heard the oven door open and Lois muttered, "Crap!"

"Is everything okay," he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "The turkey browned a little faster than I thought." He heard the oven rack slide out and Lois began suctioning the juices from the turkey pan and squirting it over the bird. "I guess it will be ready before 3:30," she added. "I have to put the green bean casserole in and I'm going to start the gravy. I'll be out in a second."

"Okay."

He heard the electric can opener actuate and a lid hit the floor. "Oops," she muttered. She emptied the contents of the liquid brown gravy into a pot on the stove.

"Lois," he called, "I wanted to tell you about…"

He heard Lois yelp and exclaim, "Oh, my God!"

Clark got up and rushed to the kitchen. "Are you okay?"

She turned around and a large brown stain was spreading on the front of her sweater. "That stupid turkey injector thingy splashed all this on me. It's hot," she said, pulling the sweater away from her stomach. "I'm fine, Clark. Don't worry, everything is under control. Go sit down; I'm going to change."

He left and returned to the couch as Lois closed the oven door and disappeared into her bedroom. "This sweater was brand new, too," she shouted. "Gross!" she exclaimed. "I'll be a few more seconds; I have to rinse this grease off of me."

Clark sat watching the game. He knew that he had to tell Lois about his conversation with his Mom but decided to wait until they were eating and things calmed down a little. His attention returned to the TV as he heard water running in the shower and Lois muttering. He smiled to himself.

After a few minutes, he began smelling something acrid. He swiveled around and saw the kitchen filling with smoke. He dashed into the kitchen and found the turkey syringe had melted onto the stovetop. Its contents leaked out and the grease had begun a small fire on the stove; smoke was billowing up from it.

Clark easily extinguished the spreading fire with a single blast of breath. He threw open the window, took a deep breath, pulling all the smoke in the room into his lungs and then expelled it out the open window. He grabbed the melted device and wiped up all the molten, charred plastic with his hand and dumped it into the trash can.

He glanced around thinking about what he could do to salvage the meal. He opened the oven door, pulled out the turkey and using his heat vision, cooked it from the inside out. Using a coffee mug, he basted the turkey, covered it with the used foil, slid it back into the oven and turned the temperature back down to 325 degrees.

Clark felt the potatoes and they remained rock hard. He used his heat vision again to quickly bake the potatoes thoroughly. He glanced at the green bean casserole and it appeared to be just fine but he heated it anyway until it bubbled.

He opened the refrigerator and saw a runny, uncooked pumpkin pie waiting to be baked. He exhaled, exasperated but amused. He grabbed the pie, raced to the door, dropped it in a nearby dumpster and dashed to the Smallville bakery. He selected a pumpkin pie, paid for it and dashed back to Lois apartment just as the shower turned off.

He put the pie on the bottom rack next to the casserole, blew all trace of smoke from the fire out the kitchen window, closed it and returned to the couch.

"Is everything okay out there?" Lois called from the bathroom. "I'll be right out!"

"Everything's fine, Lois," he replied, shaking his head and chuckling. "I think it's close to being finished and I saw the pie so I put it in the oven, too."

"Awww, you're the best, Clark; thanks for helping," she shouted from her room. She emerged a few minutes later, smiling. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "There; all better!" Lois had replaced the soiled sweater with a forest green sweater adorned with the same turkey pin and same jeans she had on before.

"You weren't scalded, were you?" Clark asked.

"No," she replied smiling, "but it was close. I didn't want to smell like turkey grease all day," she concluded with a chuckle. Clark joined her as she walked to the kitchen.

"There was a little mishap," he told her. "The turkey syringe was too close to the burner and it melted. I saw it and threw it in the trash."

"Good," she exclaimed. "That's where the stupid thing was headed anyway." She opened the oven and was rewarded with the fragrant aroma of roasted turkey. "Can you take the turkey out while I mash the potatoes?" she said proudly.

"Sure," Clark replied and put on the oven mitts and pulled the turkey out of the oven. He set it on the counter and pulled the potatoes out too and then returned to the living room.

Lois put the potatoes in a pot and began mashing them with a potato masher. _How do they get the skin off these freakin' things,_ she wondered. She began picking the shreds of potato skin out and then remembered dining at a steakhouse in Kansas City where they served mashed potatoes with the skins in them. "Clark, you don't mind the potato skins in the mashed potatoes, do you? That's the way I always make them."

Clark smirked. "No, that's fine; I like them that way."

 _God, these things are awfully dry,_ Lois thought. She held the pot beneath the faucet and let hot water trickle into them. She began mashing again. _That's better_ , she said to herself and put a big glob of butter on them _._

Lois stirred the gravy that was on the low setting on the back of the stove and felt a layer of burnt gravy coating the bottom of the pot. She grimaced. She stirred it rapidly to distribute the crusted bits within the remainder of the liquid portion of the gravy, withdrew the spoon and then tasted it. _A little burnt, but edible_.

"I think we're ready," she called and Clark came into the kitchen. "If you'd just carry the turkey out, I'll get the rest."

Clark transferred the turkey to a plastic Thanksgiving platter that Lois set on the counter and he carried it to the table. He had not noticed the table when he came in because Lois ushered him directly to the sofa.

There were two place settings at each end of the small dining table that was covered by a white lace tablecloth. Red cloth napkins were folded into small arches and placed on each plate with utensils aligned neatly on either side of the plate. Water and wine glasses were set properly in front of each setting, along with a cup and saucer. Two candleholders with white candles flanked Clark's bouquet which served as a centerpiece. In front of each place setting were handwritten name cards; one reading "Clark" and the other reading "Lois".

 _"_ _I just want everything to be perfect for our first holiday together_."

Clark stood staring at the table. A pan crashed in the kitchen, Lois muttered something, and he smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

Lois was beaming. She was proud of herself for single-handedly creating a successful Thanksgiving meal. It was by far the largest and most complex culinary endeavor she had ever undertaken and felt that she had pulled it off almost flawlessly. As it turned out, the mashed potatoes proved themselves her Achilles' heel.

She thought they had been adequately moistened after adding hot water to them. By the time they were served, however, the potatoes had congealed into a stiff, dense mass of starch. Clark struggled to free the glob of potatoes from the serving spoon he dished them out with. He ended up scraping them off the serving spoon with his teaspoon, depositing a far larger serving on his plate than he intended.

He drenched them with gravy that markedly changed their consistency and flavor but not for the better. The gravy tasted burnt and it nearly made him shudder when he swallowed.

"I'm a little disappointed with the mashed potatoes," Lois remarked. "I think next time I'll leave the skins out." She glanced up to measure Clark's expression.

"They're fine," Clark exaggerated, "just put some gravy on them."

"I'm not much of a gravy lover," she replied, opting instead for numerous slabs of butter.

Dutifully, Clark ate the entire helping of mashed potatoes but rejected a second helping. He took additional helpings of the green bean casserole, stuffing, and turkey, all of which turned out surprisingly well.

They made small talk during dinner which helped take Clark's mind off the potatoes. They talked about their work, the Kent Farm, Tess and her obsession with alien culture and even talked about Lex Luthor.

"Are you ready for dessert?" Lois asked.

Clark took a deep breath. He concluded that layering more palatable food on top of the mashed potatoes and gravy wouldn't hurt. "I guess I could eat a slice of pie. If you make some coffee, I'll clear the table and we'll have dessert."

He cleared while she brewed and Clark pulled the pie out of the oven. It was warm and fragrant. He set it on the counter. "Wow, that turned out better than even I expected," Lois exclaimed. "I didn't realize it was a deep dish pie shell; I thought it was just a regular old pie shell."

Clark cringed. "Well it looks great, Lois," he said and whisked it to the table before she could analyze it further. He cut two large pieces and put them on small dessert plates and then carried it back into the kitchen just as Lois was exiting with the coffee.

Lois moved her chair from the opposite end of the small square dining table and sat next to Clark. They ate the warm pie and talked some more. "Did Chloe ever call you?" Lois asked.

"About what?"

"She called me and asked me to go to a restaurant with her for dinner and I told her I had plans. She said she was going to invite you since I already had plans." Lois paused. "She sounded funny to me. I can't put my finger on it but my antenna went up when she said something about me talking to The Blur."

Clark's jaw tightened. "No, she never called me. What did she say?"

"Well, we were actually talking about you and somehow she concluded that I was having personal and confidential conversations with The Blur like she used to have with you." She chased a bit of crust around her plate with her fork. "I just got a weird vibe from her. It was like she was resentful or accusing me of something."

"Did you tell her about us?"

"No. And that's what really bothers me, Clark." Lois reached over and put her hand on top of his. "Chloe and I have always been like sisters and it just hurts deep inside me that I feel like I can't talk to her about things I used to talk to her about." She sighed. "We used to share everything; we had no secrets. Now it seems like I have to walk on egg shells when I talk to her and it almost seems like she's feeling me out for information about The Blur." She looked up at him. "I hate to ask you this but would you talk to her; clear the air so we can all get back to being friends again. I hate the way things are now."

He nodded, deep in thought. "Me, too;" he said with a distant look in his eyes. "You're right; the last thing I want is for Chloe to feel isolated from us. That isn't good for any of us and certainly not for you or her."

"Or you! Chloe used to be your best friend."

"That's you, now," he proclaimed.

"Yeah, and that's the problem, Clark. Chloe feels like I've replaced her as your BFF and now she's resentful of me and you. That's why I wish you'd just talk to her and try to mend fences."

He knew that there was a lot more to the story than Lois knew but in general, she was on target. He thought about how frustrated, angry and hurt he was when Chloe ignored him and continued to protect and hide her paramedic paramour. It wasn't right for him to make her feel the way he did. "I promise," he said, "I will talk to Chloe tomorrow and we'll talk as long as long as it takes until the air is cleared and we can start repairing all of our relationships. Okay?" He turned his hand over and squeezed hers.

"That would really make me happy, Clark; thank you." She stood up, grabbed her plate and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Just don't tell her about us," she added. "I want to be the one to do that."

He stood up, grabbed his plate and followed her into the kitchen. "That was great, Lois," Clark remarked. "Thanks for going to all this trouble."

She turned around and put her arms around his shoulders. "You're welcome. I'm glad it turned out so well because I wanted everything to be perfect for our first holiday together." She stared into his eyes and he returned her stare.

"Lois Lane, the romantic;" he said with a smile, "who would have thought?"

Lois blushed a bit and replied, "Clark Kent, the man of action who ended up with the girl; who'd have thought?"

He leaned down, took her face in his hands and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. She reached up, running her hand through his hair and pulled him closer and tighter.

Clark caught the scent of her perfume and heard her heart pounding. He felt her soft breasts and taut body pressed against him and ran his hands across her back.

They were both lost in the kiss when they suddenly realized Clark was becoming aroused. He ended the kiss, a bit embarrassed knowing that Lois had felt his arousal, and put some distance between them. They both smiled but said nothing. He gave her another quick parting kiss.

"The least I can do is clean up dishes," he said to break the moment. "Why don't you go into the living room and relax. I'll take care of the mess."

She stared at him for a moment longer. "Alright, Clark," she said cutely, and then raised an eyebrow. "I'll be waiting for you when you're done."

He carved up the rest of the turkey and put it into plastic storage containers, along with the leftover stuffing, green bean casserole, and pie. The gravy made its way down the drain and the mashed potatoes hit the trash bag with a resounding thud, nearly cracking the turkey carcass below.

By the time Clark finished cleaning up in the kitchen, Lois had fallen into a deep sleep. She had kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the couch watching the late game. He cleared his throat to try and awaken her but it was clear that she was exhausted. He gently reached down, picked her up in his arms and carried her to bed. He set her down softly and she stirred. He leaned down and kissed her sweetly on the lips. As he stood and turned to go, she reached out and caught his wrist.

"Don't leave," she said sleepily, "stay with me."

Clark wasn't sure if Lois was fully awake and realized what she was asking. As badly as he wanted to stay with her, he decided that it would be better spending the night with her when they were both lucid, when she knew about his secret, and their future together was more secure. "I can't tonight," he replied, almost in a whisper, "but soon."

Lois groaned her disappointment and slurred, "Good night, honey," then drifted off again.

He stared at her for a moment, beautifully bathed in the faint moonlight that filtered through the sheer curtains of her window. Clark burned every detail of that image into his mind and filed it away for safekeeping. Throughout his remaining years, he would recall that image and relive this moment: the moment when he finally realized what mattered most to him in life.

"Good night, Miss Lane," he said quietly and crept from her apartment.

( _Clark disconnects with Lois and heads to the Watchtower_ )

Moments later Clark arrived at the Watchtower. He entered to find Oliver sitting behind the main communications terminal.

"Clark!" he said with a surprised tone, sitting up in his chair. "What are you doing here? I thought you knew I was on duty tonight."

"Hey, Ollie. I knew you were here; I wanted to talk to you." Clark paused. "Happy Thanksgiving, by the way," he added with a slight smile.

"Same to you," Oliver replied. "I take it your Mom came home and made you a huge Thanksgiving feast."

"No," Clark replied, "she is stuck in Washington going through the Healthcare bills."

"God!" Oliver exclaimed. "I couldn't think of anything worse than spending Thanksgiving reading thousands of pages of legislation. She's got my vote." He paused and then asked, "Did you get dinner?"

Clark smirked. "Yes. Lois invited me to her place for Thanksgiving dinner."

Oliver grinned and chuckled incredulously. "I just thought of something worse than Thanksgiving in Washington. Are you okay; I mean, does anyone make like Kryptonian Rolaids or something?"

Clark joined Oliver in chuckling. "Would you believe me if I told you she did a really good job?"

"No."

"Then I won't waste that lie on you," he said, smirking. "Honestly though, it turned out really good, you'd be surprised."

Oliver quit chuckling and cocked his head with a slight frown, "You're telling the truth, aren't you? Huh!" he exclaimed, shaking his head. "Really; everything was good?"

"Well," Clark admitted, "there was the little problem with the mashed potatoes and gravy."

Oliver laughed and Clark smiled sheepishly.

"So you two are getting pretty close, huh?"

Clark nodded. "Yeah; that's what I want to talk to you about Ollie." He rolled a chair over and sat down next to his friend. "Look, I know you still have some very strong feelings for Lois and so do I. You and I have a good relationship again and I don't want that to be affected by my relationship with Lois. I need to make sure…"

"Clark," Oliver interrupted, "I know where you're headed and you're right, I'd gladly give my right arm to have Lois back. But she's made her choice and it's you, my friend. I had my chance with her and I'll always regret blowing it but you know what, that's the way it worked out. It doesn't change what we have to do and I won't let my regrets interfere with our partnership or our friendship." He clapped Clark on the shoulder and stared directly into his eyes, "I told you I had your back and I always will, Clark. Nothing is going to change that. I truly am happy for Lois and I'm happy for you too. You deserve someone as great as Lois is."

Clark smiled broadly. "Thanks, Ollie; you're a good friend and I'll always remember that - so will Lois." He shook Oliver's hand. "She needs a friend that she can talk to as well."

"So that's what you came here for; to make sure we're okay?"

"Well, that was one thing. The other thing I need to talk to you about is Chloe."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

Lois opened the envelope that was wedged between a large cup of gourmet coffee and a small bag with three maple donuts from the coffee shop across the street. Inside the envelope was a Thank You card from Clark. She opened the card and read:

 _Lois, thank you for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner!_ _I appreciate all the work you went through to make it such a special holiday for me._ _–_ _Clark_

She smiled at his thoughtfulness, placed the card in the envelope and slid it in her purse. She flipped the lid off her coffee, took a sip and pulled a maple donut out the small bag.

Clark was watching her from the copy room and was pleased with her response to the card. He exited the room and headed to his desk. She looked up just as he was sitting down behind his desk.

"Good morning, Clark," she said in a cheerful tone. "Thank you for the card. That was sweet and you didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did," he replied, staring directly into her eyes. "I had a wonderful time and I wanted you to know it."

"I did too," she replied, "I'm just sorry it ended so early," holding his stare and suggesting with her eyes that she wished it had lasted all night long.

Clark felt hot and Lois smiled impishly as he loosened his tie. She turned her gaze to the computer monitor but her smile remained. Finally, he pulled his gaze away and focused on his email messages.

By 10:30, Lois had caught up on her corrections and re-sent her articles to Brady for final approval. Clark returned to his desk after having been summoned to their editor's office. She looked up at him as he sat down. "Brady gave me an assignment and I asked if I could take you along. He said it would be fine."

Lois perked up. "Great! What's the assignment?"

"He wants us to cover the shopping day. You know, talk to store owners, talk to shoppers and find out what the mood is in this economy."

"That's a pretty good story. Thanks for including me." She logged off her computer. "You know what sucks? It's Black Friday and everyone else in the city is out getting these amazing shopping deals and I'm stuck here."

Clark logged off, stood up and began putting on his sport coat. "Why Lois; I never figured you for a Black Friday power shopper. Knocking people to the ground to get something that you wanted, yes; standing in those long checkout lines, no. I just can't see you doing that." He smirked as he helped her on with her coat.

She faked a smile. "You'd be surprised, Farm Boy; I usually find a way to circumvent those lines and it has nothing to do with the training those Special Forces guys gave me! Well, at least most of the time it doesn't."

She replaced the lid on her coffee and handed the bag containing one remaining donut to Clark. They walked to the stairs and out of the basement into the lobby. Moments later, they emerged on the bustling streets of Metropolis.

"Where to first?" he asked.

"This way," she replied, locking her arm in his, and pulling him down the sidewalk toward one of the large department stores in Metropolis. She sipped her coffee and once they got out of view of the Planet building, she let her arm-lock slip down until she had his hand in hers.

"After I left last night I went to see Oliver."

"You did? Why?"

"Well, I decided that before I talk to Chloe, I thought I needed to clear the air with Oliver first." He paused, making Lois anxious. "I told him about us; I hope you don't mind." He felt her hand tighten in his.

She came to a dead stop and turned to face him. "What did he say?"

"He said that he'll always regret losing you but that he was happy for both of us. He said he was glad that I found someone as great as you and that he'll always be my friend. Then he assured me that our relationship won't do anything to affect his friendship." He paused and then added, "And I told him that you needed a friend to talk to also."

Lois exhaled. "God, Clark; you don't know how much I was dreading telling Ollie that you and I are a couple now. I'm so relieved that he accepted it that well." She began walking again. "You're sure he was okay with it and not just saying it, right?"

"I'm sure, Lois. We talked for almost an hour and a half afterwards. I think if he had been putting on a front, I would have seen through it." He squeezed her hand to reassure her. "No, he's fine and truly, he's happy for the both of us."

"What did you talk about for that long?"

"Mostly, we talked about Chloe and the way she's been acting. He said that she seemed 'a little shut off'; those were his words, but he attributed it to her losing Jimmy. He offered to help but I told him that I had to talk this out with her."

They had arrived at the first department store. It was a large, upscale department store similar to Macy's. A throng of people could be seen through the windows; most of them holding arm loads of clothes and looking at more. "Look at that," Lois cried, "See, this is what I mean. By the time I get off work, this placed will be more picked over than yesterday's turkey carcass at an Osmond family reunion." She shook her head.

"Well, Lois," Clark began, "it's not like you have a whole lot of people to buy for. There's your Dad, Lucy, and Chloe. You don't have kids, nieces or nephews to buy for."

"Oh! Well, thank you for reminding me just how few people exist in my life, Mr. 'Look-At-Me, I'm-Not-Panicking'. You have your Mom to buy for. Hello?"

Clark grinned and she rolled her eyes. She dug the last donut out of the bag in Clark's hand, took a huge bite and fed the remainder to Clark. In one large gulp, Lois finished her coffee and threw the cup in the outside trash receptacle.

"Okay, let's go, Smallville," she said and dragged him inside the packed store. "Look at all these people; it's going to be a miracle if we don't wake up tomorrow with six strains of the swine flu!"

"You're right," Clark replied. They pushed through the crowd of people feverishly combing through racks and display tables for special sale items. "I've never seen a crowd like this in a store," he exclaimed.

"Really?" Lois shook her head in feigned surprise. "Are you saying the after Thanksgiving sales at the Smallville general store never incited this level of frenzied excitement? Not even around the plaid flannel shirt table? Shocker," she exclaimed and rolled her eyes.

They wove their way through the bustling crowd toward the Customer Service desk to interview the manager. While waiting for him to arrive, Lois turned and smirked at Clark with a cocked head and arched eyebrow. "By the way; what makes you so sure that's all the people I have to buy presents for?"

( _Later that day_ )

It was 4:15 in the afternoon when Clark left Lois and headed to the Watchtower. She had agreed to compile their notes and put an article together after their jaunt through the stores. He promised to return after talking with Chloe and help her finish up before the 8 PM deadline. "With all this traffic, you'll be lucky if you get to Oliver's office by 8!" she replied.

He smiled. "I'll call if I can't make it back."

"Don't worry; I've got it." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it before he left. "Thanks, Clark."

When he walked in to the Watchtower a few minutes later, Chloe looked surprised. "Clark! What are you doing here?"

"Hi Chloe," he replied and walked up to her. "I came to talk to you."

Chloe looked at him expressionless. "So, you came to apologize for biting my head off last Saturday?"

Clark pulled up a chair and sat down. "I think it goes a little deeper than that, don't you?" He stared at her. "There have been a lot of things said and done over the last few months and I've regretted some of those things. But what I regret most is that I think you feel I don't care about you anymore."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why shouldn't I feel that way, Clark? Jimmy dies and you don't even have the decency to be there for me at his funeral when I needed you the most. Then, when you finally do show up, you come in here having convinced yourself that it's your humanity to blame for everything that happened and just disappear." Tears began to well in her eyes. "Without any concern for the rest of us who are hurting just as badly as you were, you turned around, walked out and disappeared." She wiped away the tears that had begun to crest with the back of her hand. "What am I to think when my best friend just abandons me at the lowest point in my life? I never thought that would ever happen and it hurt me as much as losing Jimmy."

"And that's what I regret and came to tell you Chloe. I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly the way I did. I know it seemed that I abandoned you, Oliver and everyone else but I felt as much of a loss as you did." He paused. "Jimmy was my friend too. Did you know that he figured out my secret just before he was murdered? Did you know that it was Jimmy that pulled the arrow out of my back that the team put there?"

"No," Chloe replied angrily, "How would I know that Clark? You disappeared after it all happened without saying anything other than 'Clark Kent is dead'."

"I left because I had lost faith in humanity. I searched for days on end trying to find Lois thinking that I was responsible for her death. I lived with that while seeing Jimmy buried feeling like I was responsible for that, too." He leaned forward in his chair and stared straight into Chloe's eyes. "And turning my back on you hurt; but it hurt just as much when you turned your back on me and ignored everything I said or tried to do to eliminate the threat that I knew he posed."

"I did that to protect you, Clark," Chloe shrieked. "Everything that I did was to keep you safe. I knew Davis couldn't be killed and I knew you wouldn't do that anyway but he would kill you. Why don't you understand that?"

Clark's eyes burned with anger. "Because it didn't start when you knew what Davis was; it started well before that, Chloe and you know what I'm talking about."

Chloe was stunned and just looked at him blankly. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm down. "Jimmy was lying in a hospital bed barely clinging to life and where were you? You were in Metropolis making sure Davis was okay. I should have said something then but I was distracted. You leave Lois sitting at your husband's side while you're here comforting Davis. That was well before anyone knew what Davis was and why he was here on Earth.

"It's you who turned your back on all of us; Jimmy, Lois and me. At some point I know that you convinced yourself that you were protecting me but that's not how it began and that's what I don't understand, Chloe. No one understands it and pretending it didn't happen that way isn't changing anything!"

Chloe was shamed but she was also angry. _How dare him judge me,_ she thought. "You don't think that every night when I go to bed alone I don't realize that? Don't you think I…" Chloe broke down in tears and laid her head on her arms.

Her sobs softened Clark's tone. "Chloe, after I convinced the Legionnaires to rid you of the Brainiac infection rather than killing you, they told me that there would be repercussions; that saving you would change the future and it did. I will never regret saving you but I see now what those repercussions were. Jimmy's dead and had I gone back and reversed time to save him, chances are that you would be dead instead or even Lois." He reached out and put his hand on her arm. "I miss Jimmy every day and if it were just that simple, I would have used the Legion Ring and changed history instantly. But it's not that simple and once it's done, I have no control over who else dies to balance his life. I can't play God like that; I just can't." He paused and then added, "It's my humanity that keeps me from doing it."

 _The thought of losing Lois has nothing to do with it; does it, Clark,_ she thought. Chloe regained some of her composure. "I never wanted any of that to happen," she said between tears. "I would gladly change places with Jimmy right now."

"That's what you don't understand, Chloe;" Clark said solemnly, "you already did change places with him. The moment I prevented the Legionnaires from killing you the clock began counting down for Jimmy and it's why I won't go back to save him no matter how badly I want to."

He said nothing more and let Chloe think about that for a while. _And who are you really worried about Clark,_ she wondered. _It's pretty easy to be so resolute when you have the person you want back._ Finally Chloe said, "I'm sorry for saying what I did about your humanity." She looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "I never meant it; I hope you know that."

Clark didn't respond and Chloe took the opportunity to say more. She looked up at him. "After all that, it still hurts that you've cut me out of your life." She hesitated and added, "Maybe after what you just said about me leaving Jimmy with Lois, I'm starting to understand why."

Though not exactly accurate, there was a grain of truth in what Chloe said and it bothered Clark. "It's more than that, Chloe," he admitted. "I want things to be the way they were before but I don't know that they can." He paused and then said, "I saw sides I never expected to see of people that I considered trusted friends. It made me reconsider who I could trust and how I measured that trust."

"Oh Clark; you know you can trust me," Chloe pleaded, peering into his eyes. "After all that we have been through together, I've never once betrayed your secret or purposely betrayed your trust."

"I thought that, too," he began, "but then I find that you're monitoring my phone calls and set up surveillance cameras in my home. How am I supposed to trust you when you're spying on me?"

 _Because I don't fully trust you anymore._ "I explained to you before why I did that. Now, you've disabled the cameras at your house which is fine. Capturing the phone conversations is what the police do with 911 calls. It's not like I'm sitting around listening to them. But even after explaining that, you still choose to ignore me and confide in Lois."

"Is that what's bothering you, Chloe; that I talk to Lois now?"

"This whole thing bothers me, Clark." _You abandoned me after all I've done for you._ She reminded herself to carefully measure her words. "You cut yourself off from everyone and I think, 'Fine; he's going to do his training' and I don't hear from you until you show up at your home while I'm feeding Shelby. Then I find out from Lois that you've been confiding in her all along. You can cut yourself off from your best friend but you can't stop confiding in Lois? Yeah, it bothers me, Clark, and it hurt me deeply because it feels like a lie."

"And so you take it out on Lois," he added.

Chloe looked shamed. _It's always about Lois now, isn't it?_ "I don't mean to," she muttered. "But I can't help feel being replaced by her and…"

"And instead of dealing with me you treat her like it's her fault. Chloe, that's not fair and it's hurt her badly. She needs you as much as you need her."

Tears formed in Chloe's eyes again and raced down her cheeks. "I know; I do need her," she said in a hoarse whisper. "She's the only person left I can talk to."

"That's why I'm here, Chloe," Clark replied. "Lois isn't the only person; you can talk to me and I want you to. But I also need her as badly as she needs me. That's not going to change and I really hope you can accept that so we can all try to get back to the place where we used to be."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

Chloe and Clark talked for nearly three hours and covered nearly everything that had transpired between them since Chloe's wedding. Getting each and every item resolved, Clark rose to leave feeling better about Chloe and that the air had thoroughly been cleared.

"This was long overdue," he said. "I'm glad it's done and we can begin rebuilding our friendship instead of tearing it down."

Chloe hugged him and he hugged her back. She sighed contentedly and said, "I mean this in only the most platonic sense of the word, but this is where I belong. I've missed this feeling, Clark."

"Me too, Chloe; I hope it can all be put behind us because your friendship has always meant so much to me."

"I'm willing to put it behind us," she replied. "And I promise that I'll mend the fence with Lois, too. I need her as much as I need you." She let go of him and looked him in the eyes. "Which brings me to my last subject."

Clark frowned. "I didn't know there was a last subject."

"Well there is;" Chloe said matter-of-factly, "it's about Lois."

He was anxious over Lois being the last subject. He thought Chloe was going to ask him about their relationship and the last thing Lois had said to him was not to mention it. "What about Lois?" he asked warily.

"I love talking to my cousin and sharing things but it's so hard at times because of your secret. Clark, I can't be open and closed with her at the same time. She's way too intuitive and knows when I'm being evasive. She doesn't always call me out on it but I know that she senses I'm keeping things from her.

"I can't keep doing that to her. First off, she's never going to be fully trusting of me if she senses I'm holding something back from her. Secondly, I can tell you two are growing closer and if my intuition serves me right, you have started forming some long-term plans in that complex head of yours, which truly makes me happy.

"I know that over a year ago you were convinced that Lois could never know your secret but I think it's time you re-examine that decision."

Clark nodded reticently. "I know; and you're right. Since I've been talking to her as The Blur, it's helped me realize a lot of things about Lois that probably would have taken years to realize…"

"If at all?" Chloe interjected.

"Exactly," he replied. "Now I've begun to worry less about her knowing my secret and more about what she'll think of me once she knows it."

"You've shared some pretty intimate feelings, right?" Chloe asked and Clark nodded. "And now you think she'll be angry because you used your alter ego to draw out her intimate thoughts, right?"

"Yes."

Chloe face lit up. "Well, I don't blame you; I would be worried too and I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when you tell her. Lois is…" she trailed off.

"So Lois?" he finished.

"Yes. She's going to feel hurt, I can assure you. She's going to feel foolish because she'll think back about all the things you've talked about that she would never have told Clark Kent and she's going to feel, I don't know…used, maybe?" She shrugged her shoulders. "My advice, if you're still taking my advice anymore, is that the sooner you tell her, the sooner the damage stops and the sooner you begin repairing the damage that has already been done."

"What if she rejects me?" he asked somberly.

"You know better than that, Clark." Chloe grinned again, "But that doesn't mean she's just going to let you off the hook either. I don't want to see her hurt or misled anymore. Not by me and certainly not by you, especially if you are thinking about any long-term plans with my cousin."

Clark nodded pensively. "Okay, thanks Chloe." He hugged her once again and left.

After traveling a safe distance from the Watchtower, Clark tried to reach Lois at her desk but there was no answer. He called her cell phone and learned that she had already finished the article, submitted it for publishing and was on her way home.

"It went really well," he told her of his conversation with Chloe. "Things are back on track between us and I think that will help you two get back on track too."

Lois was relieved and excited but she detected something strange in Clark's voice. " _Clark, it sounds like there's something you're leaving out; you sound funny_."

"What do you mean," he asked, knowing full well what she meant.

" _Clark, I can tell when something's bothering you._ _What is it?_ "

"Just some things that Chloe said to me hit pretty close to home and made me think of things in different way. That's all."

" _What things?_ _What did she say?_ " Lois demanded.

He had to think quickly. "Just things between her and me over the years. Hearing her side and how she interpreted things made me look differently at things I've done." He figured that Lois wouldn't accept something so vague so he added, "Once I work through it, I'll talk to you about them, okay?"

" _Well, I would expect you to, Farmer John,_ " she teased. " _After all, you are my boyfriend now and I don't expect to be kept in the dark about things that are important to you._ "

Clark cringed. The hole he was digging himself into just kept getting deeper. "Of course, Lois. I just need to work through it myself first."

" _Okaaaay_ ," she said warily. " _Does that mean you're going to be stashed away in your he-man women-haters clubhouse working through it and I won't be seeing this weekend?_ "

"Are you kidding?" he said, relieved that Lois was being playful and not inquisitive. "Your place or mine?"

" _Mine,_ " she replied. " _That way I have you all to myself._ _No Shelby, no sneezing, no Kleenex._ "

"What time?"

" _Whenever you feel like coming._ _If you get here by one, we can watch some college games and have turkey sandwiches._ "

He liked the sound of that. "That sounds great to me. I'll bring a six-pack and some chips with me. I'll see you then."

" _Okey dokey_ ," she said gleefully, " _it's a date!_ "

Clark chuckled. "Okey dokey?" he asked incredulously. "Since when does Lois Lane use the phrase, 'okey dokey'?"

She snorted. " _I've been studying up on my 'country and hick slang' since we've started dating, Flannel King._ _I figured it would come in handy talking to you_."

"Really?" Clark replied mischievously.

" _Yep_ ," she replied. " _I went on line and ordered it; Rosetta Stone, Hayseed edition; cost me an arm and a leg but you're worth every penny of it, Clark._ "

Clark grinned. He was amazed at her ability to change his mood so quickly. "Well that's good to know, Lois. I wouldn't want there to be any misunderstanding between us."

" _Not now_ ," she replied, " _especially now, since it took you forever to step up to the plate, Farm Boy_."

He nodded. "So I'll be there around one."

" _Ay-yup!_ " she replied and snickered. " _That was in Lesson Two._ "

"Good night, Lois," he said and disconnected from the call. He shook his head and laughed. _Hayseed edition!_

Lois was climbing into bed when her cell phone rang. She saw her cousin's name on the display.

" _Hi Lo_ ," Chloe's voice said cheerily through the phone.

"Hi Cuz; it's good to hear from you," Lois replied.

" _Well, I guess you probably know that Clark and I talked this evening and it made me realize that I've been pretty cold towards you and I wanted to say I'm sorry._ _It's just been…_ "

"No!" Lois interrupted. "No apologizing, Chloe; we're family and you don't have to apologize because we love one another and understand, right? It's been a tough few months for all of us."

" _You're right, Lois; it has._ _So what do you say to a 'girl's night out' tomorrow night?_ "

"I'd say it sounds like a plan," she replied excitedly. "I'm dying to talk to you. It's like we haven't really talked in months and we've got a lot of catching up to do."

" _See you around nine o'clock_ _then?_ _We'll go into Metropolis and bar hop,_ " Chloe suggested.

"Perfect! I'll pick you up at nine then, Cuz."

" _Great! I'll talk to you then._ _Later_."

Lois disconnected from the call and climbed beneath the covers. Everything was going so well and she could hardly quit smiling long enough to fall asleep.

( _As Lois drifts off to sleep, she begins to dream again_ )

 _Lois is lying next to Clark in bed._ _She is aware that she's naked and she runs her hand across his bare chest and follows it down beneath the sheets to finds that he is naked too._ _She senses that they have made love but does not recall having done so; only that she feels satisfied and content._

 _It seems like morning but the red glow of the sun makes her think it is late afternoon and she's disoriented._ _She gets up, wraps a sheet around her and goes to the loft window and looks at the red, setting sun._ _From behind, Clark places his hands around her and she leans back against him as they both look at the ruby sun._

 _She turns within the grasp of his powerful arms and they kiss._ _There is a feeling of desperation inside her; a feeling that this is the last time they will ever share one another's bodies._ _There is exhilaration but also sadness; a feeling of pending doom._

 _They return to the bed they left only moments before to make love. Lois knows it isn't the first time but cannot recall the first time._ _Clark feels so comfortable to her, like they are joined not just physically but spiritually as they begin the tender and passionate exploration of each other's body._

 _Their lovemaking is exhausting but euphoric; a connection so deep and on such a profound level that it seems it will never be broken._ _She has never experienced lovemaking like it has been with Clark._

 _As they lay next to one another, spent and glistening, Clark rolls to his side and hoarsely whispers, "I love you."_ _He traces the outline of her face with his finger._ _"_ _I never want to lose you again, Lois._ _My life isn't the same without you in it and I'd rather die than live without you again."_

 _The words are tender and heartfelt but to Lois, they are also ominous._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

Lois and Clark had spent an enjoyable afternoon together watching the college football games, having leftover turkey sandwiches and growing more comfortable with one another on an intimate level. When Lois announced that she was going out with Chloe Saturday night, Clark was secretly relieved.

Oliver had been pulling consecutive night shifts on duty which gave Clark time to spend with Lois. But he also felt guilty that he had not been more help recently and had told Oliver that he would cover the weekend. He needed to be on duty over the weekend and was struggling to find a reason to give to Lois for not spending the evenings with her.

As luck would have it, Oliver was sent out of Metropolis for the weekend in response to a report of some mystical entity that was menacing people in New Orleans, Louisiana. The superstitious locals believed that voodoo was involved and Clark was uneasy dealing with that threat because of his vulnerability to magic.

He patrolled Metropolis Saturday night and occasionally glimpsed Lois and Chloe bouncing from nightclub to nightclub. By the end of the evening, he watched Lois bid Chloe farewell. The two cousins stood face-to-face and talked. Clark thought he saw Lois wiping a tear from her eye. As they concluded, Lois hugged Chloe and it appeared to him that it was a longer then normal hug. The scene was touching and he was glad that he had cleared the way for the two cousins to enjoy one another's company again.

Lois hailed a cab to take her back to Smallville and Chloe began walking back to the Watchtower. Clark intercepted her, picked her up and sped her home for her own safety. Chloe was highly intoxicated and Clark was being cautious. Bart was covering the communications console and assured Clark that he'd keep an eye on Chloe and take care of her if she ended up getting ill or needed help.

By 2 PM the following day, Clark had not heard from Lois and called her. "Owww," she groaned sleepily when Clark said hello. "What time is it?"

"It's just after 2, Lois."

"Why are you calling me so early? I need to get some sleep," she replied.

"It's just after 2 in the afternoon," he said smirking. "How are you feeling? Do you want me to come over and get you something to eat?"

Lois coughed to clear her throat. "No! I'm sorry, Clark; I just don't feel up to company right now."

"Did you and Chloe have a good time together last night?"

"Yes we did," Lois replied and then yawned. "It was so great being able to talk and spend time with her again."

"Did you tell Chloe about us?"

"Yes, but it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be," Lois said in a disappointed tone. "I think she already suspected. She just didn't seem as excited as I thought she would be and I thought she was being sarcastic at one point." She paused and then added, "She made a remark about how the flowers you sent me in the hospital were a big clue."

Clark didn't know what to think about Chloe's comment and parsed the words she said for a moment. Lois was clearly disappointed and it bothered him for some reason. Dwelling on that caused a lull in the conversation so he let the comment pass.

"You sound really tired, Lois. Are you positive you don't want me to come over and make you something to eat or get you some tea or anything?"

"Sure Clark," she said, regaining her presence, "that's just what I want; you seeing me the way I look right now. You'd take one look at me and run like The Blur back to your farm."

"I've seen you like that before, Lois. Remember Chloe's engagement party?"

"Ugh, yes," she replied, revisiting the mental image of waking up wearing Clark's football jersey and him grinning at her. "I swear; after last night I'll never be able to look at a Cosmopolitan martini in the same way again."

"What happened to you, Lois? You used to be able to drink football players under the table. How did Chloe keep up with you?"

Lois snorted. "I think that Chloe has been practicing lately and I haven't. But enough about the Lois train wreck, what did you do last night?"

"The usual; just hung around and kept an eye on things. I did have that tractor to finish repairing."

"Wow; sounds like a real rager; sorry I missed that," she quipped.

"So I take it you really don't want me around tonight either?"

"Any other time I'd wring your neck for saying that but I think I'll just grab something real quick and go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning, Clark."

"Okay; you too, Lois. Take care of yourself and I'll have your coffee waiting for you in the morning."

"Did I ever tell you what a great boyfriend you are?" She paused and then added, "I really mean that; you're so considerate and such a good guy. Every day, you always give me something to look forward to the next day. You're just the best." She hesitated, "You're Clark Kent, my _Man of Tomorrow_."

( _The next morning_ )

Lois arrived at the Daily Planet just before 7:30 AM; she was running a little later than usual because she felt that she needed a few extra moments in front of the mirror after the weekend. The lobby was a little more crowded than usual but Lois usually was at her desk by this time of the morning. A line had formed for the elevator and blocked the stairs to the basement.

"Hey Lois," a voice called to her from the crowd. Lois didn't recognize the voice turned around to look who was calling her. "Lois; over here."

She spotted a pretty, petite young woman with strawberry blonde hair waving her hand in the air. Lois recognized her but forgot her name. She smiled and pushed her way through the skirmish line for the elevator. "Hi, uh…"

"Hailey; from Marketing, remember? We were partners at the Team Building training last February?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry; I'm just terrible with names," Lois replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Hailey replied and giggled. "I'll never forget how you had that instructor so worried you were going to break his hand; he didn't know if you were serious or just kidding."

"Really?" she asked, frowning. "I thought I was pretty clear about it."

Hailey snickered again. "Well, hey, I can tell you're in a hurry but I wanted to ask you something real quick." She glanced around and lowered her voice, "What's Clark Kent like?"

Lois straightened up and looked surprised. "Ah, I don't know; a really, really nice guy most of all. Clark's a really good reporter and I'll tell you now, no one knows just how talented he is except probably me. He's absolutely the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet. I guess I'd describe him as a big boy scout, you know? He's considerate, loyal, trustworthy, courageous…"

"No," Hailey interrupted. "We all know that about Clark. I mean, what's he like out of the office? You know…in a more, uh, intimate setting?"

Lois cocked her head and looked puzzled. "I'm not sure what you mean?"

Hailey gave her an exasperated look and then smirked. "Of course you know what I mean, Lois. What's he like…um…you know, when he loosens his tie?"

Lois frowned, "How would I know? We're friends and co-workers. That's about all I can tell you. I lived with his family a few years ago and his parents are the 'salt of the Earth'-type people. He's just an extension of them."

"Oh c'mon, Lois! The picture of you two has been racing around the building and all the girls are envious of you. There's no point in pretending."

"Whoa!" she interrupted, "What picture?"

"One of the girls snapped a cell phone picture of Clark kissing you in the bull pen a couple weeks ago. It's been killing the rest of us. You haven't seen it?"

"No," Lois replied sharply, "and that…well, that was just a…kind of a bet that we had on a side job we were trying out for and he lost."

"He may have lost but everyone knows who won! Oh my God, that picture was just so hot and all the other girls are like so jealous." She paused and then added, "So you two really aren't dating or anything?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, it's just that I heard he brings you pastries and coffee every morning. If that's true, it's just so…I don't know, romantic? No, it's more than romantic, Lois. They don't have a name for what that is."

Lois blushed, but then held up a brown paper bag. "He gets me breakfast and I get him lunch. It's a couple of turkey sandwiches. We've done that for years."

"Really?" Hailey looked excited. "So you're really not dating him?"

"Are you kidding me?" Lois replied, frowning. "He's a great guy; don't get me wrong, but he's just a big farm boy – not my type. I'm way out of his league." Lois immediately felt wrong saying that.

"Oh my God," the petite co-worker from Marketing exclaimed, "you have no idea how many girls are going to be happy to hear that."

"Ah…yeah, well," Lois struggled, sensing impending trouble, "he does have some girl he's hung up on but she doesn't live in Metropolis. I don't know if anyone is going to have much luck breaking the spell she's got him under."

"I doubt that will stop many from trying." Her face lit up. "Thanks Lois!" Hailey said gleefully. "You just made my day and a whole lot of other girls' too. I'll let you get to your desk. It was good talking to you."

Lois just stared as the young woman slipped through the crowd. She started downstairs with a head full of new worries swimming around in it. She wondered if it would just be easier to let her co-workers know they were a couple or if it would inspire more encounters like the one she just had.

When she got to the bullpen, she spotted her boyfriend and her cup of coffee at her desk. Her expression must have alarmed Clark because he stood up the instant he saw her; the pleasant smile left his face and was replaced with a worried look. "What's wrong, Lois?"

She grabbed her cup of coffee, hooked his arm and pulled him toward the supply room. "We need to talk!"

Once the door was closed, Clark said, "What's the matter?"

"A picture of us is floating around the building. Someone snapped a picture of you kissing me in the bullpen after the 'Good Morning, Metropolis' thing fell through. Apparently everyone thinks we're dating."

Her rapid-fire delivery amused Clark and he smirked. "Well, we are."

"I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "But it already started. I had 'Hailey' from Marketing asking me all about you. I hardly even know her and she's asking me about you!" Lois exhaled loudly. "See, this is what I meant about keeping our relationship under wraps. I don't want people coming up asking me about my personal business and as soon as everyone knows it, I'm going to be bombarded."

"What did you tell her?" Clark asked.

"I denied it. I said that the kiss was the result of a bet that you lost." Clark made a face. "I know," she admitted in response, "it was lame but it was the best I could do at the moment."

"Lois, I think you're over-reacting. Just let it die down. We'll just be more careful."

"No more donuts and coffee in the morning, Clark. Everyone looks at that and concludes that we're a couple because of that."

"But I like bringing you coffee and donuts."

"Well, it has to stop." She thrust the brown paper bag at him. "Oh, here's a couple of turkey sandwiches I brought you for lunch."

"Thanks," Clark said, taking the sack lunch, "but I like doing things for you. If it means that people are catching on, so be it. It's important to me."

She paused. His sentiments drained the anxiety from her and she hated the thought of denying him. "Okay, just the coffee from now on then. I have to cut back on the donuts anyway," she said patting her hip. "The holidays are coming and the best offense is a good defense. I need to cut down on the sweets now because I know I'm going to eat them around Christmas," she smirked.

"Okay, just coffee," Clark acknowledged, "and we'll try harder to be a little more discreet."

"Good, then we're in agreement?"

"It sounds like it to me," he replied.

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Thanks for understanding." She grabbed a ream of paper to carry out of the room with her. "You know what? Chloe and I were talking about Christmas ideas and I was thinking that since Thanksgiving turned out so well, I'd make a nice Christmas dinner for all of us. How does that sound?"

Clark tried to smile convincingly. "That sounds great, Lois; I'd love it." He paused and added, "Maybe we could just get a prepared ham so that you don't have to go through all that work though."

Lois donned a wide smile. "Pftt, it's no big deal," she replied. "I'll start thinking about what to make. After dinner, it will be so romantic; just you and me alone, a nice roaring fire, some hot cocoa and a lot of snuggling." She started to exit the room but stopped short, turned and said, "Who knows, Smallville; maybe all your presents won't be under the tree this year," she concluded with an arched eyebrow and sly smile.

*************** End of Story ***************

Look for " ** _Yuletide_** ", the second story in _The Courtship trilogy._ Coming soon.


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